Twice Upon A Time
by True Love Swallows
Summary: "One more time. Just to get everything out of the way, once and for all. One final rush, one more time. Let's just do it all again, except, you know, in secret." All human, rated T for now
1. Good News, Bad News

**Twice Upon A Time**

Edward and Bella are ex husband and wife, who have been divorced for twelve years. So what happens when one night spent reminiscing on their past makes them realise that they might just want one last fling?

**I own nothing, as usual.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One – Good News, Bad News<strong>

**Bella**

I was the tender age of sixteen when I first fell in love. I was seventeen when I got married, and I was eighteen when I gave birth to my first child. I was twenty two when I gave birth again to my second child. I was twenty eight when my husband and I realised we had moved too quickly, and we decided the only option was divorce. Here I am now, at forty years old, and still don't know any better.

"I still don't know why he picked Pennsylvania over Georgetown."

"It's an Ivy League school."

"Benjamin Franklin founded it."

"The grounds are beautiful."

"And most importantly, it was ranked higher than Georgetown."

I scowled at my two best friends, who were meant to be on my side; the two of them were traitors. "Shut up. Both of you."

"Bella, how do I put this delicately? Pennsylvania shits all over Georgetown." Rose said, with a smirk on her face as she twisted her hair around her finger. Alice laughed alongside her, and they clinked their wine glasses together before raising their own wine glasses to their lips.

I did the same, and I noticed that Alice had downed hers completely. I didn't even attempt to hold the words back, as they escaped my lips before I could process it. "Take it easy Alice." I warned her, while a giggle escaped her lips, a good indication that she was taking the alcohol way too far - again.

Rose rolled her eyes dramatically, obviously not letting her worried side show. "Bella, get back on track. Your son is graduating in a couple of weeks. He's finishing up, and then he's in the real world, on his own." I held back a sigh; not this conversation again, which had been parading itself around for the last six months or so. It happened every time we had our wine and cheese nights, every three weeks.

"Please don't make me cry." I said, sniffling. "He really is growing up." I sighed, thinking about how I was when I was his age. God, I would have been five months pregnant with a four year old running around the place. And I was happily married. It seemed like a different life entirely, what with the messy divorce and all.

"He's come a long way. So have you, by the way. You don't give yourself enough credit for that." Alice chimed in. She looked down to her empty glass, bit her lip, and decided to grab the red wine bottle in front of her. Both Rose and I looked at each other knowingly.

"I don't think that's a wise idea, Whitlock." Rose said, taking her glass from her and putting it on the table. Alice tried to act like it bothered her that we badgered her about her alcohol consumption, but all three of us knew better – she was grateful to have us. I helped myself to another slice of camembert and popped it in my mouth. Hello, calories. "Let's recap, anyways. So, it was eighteen years ago that you were twenty two. So you would've been pregnant with little Amelia and four year old Nathan would've been running circles around you." Alice said, disrupting me from my thoughts about how I really shouldn't have eaten that cheese.

"And Edward and I would be married." I added without thinking, with was a completely stupid move. I might as well have walked into a wall.

"Can you not bring his name up?" Alice said, sighing. "Honestly Bella, you said you were over him!" If our lives were a sitcom, this scenario would pop up every two episodes, and sadly, I was partly to blame. Bitter, crazy ex-wife to the gorgeous doctor Edward Cullen realises she brings him up in almost every conversation that said ex-wife has with two best friends.

"I am over him; I'm just saying at that time, we were married. It's been twelve years, and you think I still love him? God Alice, you have had too much to drink." I shrugged nonchalantly, as though it were no big deal, as though it was just a simple statement. Rose pursed her lips together unflatteringly and Alice rubbed her temples.

Rose steps in, and I thank my lucky stars that she knows how to break the ice. "Anyway, you had your two best friends as well, the most important thing in your life at that time, and in the present time."

"And in the future." Alice reminded her, smiling. Rose nodded once. Queue corny "awww" from audience.

"I'm pretty sure, as much as I love you guys, my kids came first. They always will." I said in defiance. That was something that would never change.

The front door opened, which startled all three of us. "Mom, I'm home!" Amelia called out, as the door slammed shut again. She really had to stop slamming doors.

"In here." I called, with a yawn. Amelia peeked into the room and smiled when she saw myself and her two aunts, who although were not blood related, might as well be. After all, Alice and Rose had been around her entire life. "How was school?" I asked, wondering what crazy even she had participated in this time.

"Wasteful." She said with absolutely no emotion, as a teenager should. Rose and Alice took turns in kissing her cheek.

"Good to know the money is going to nowhere then." I said, pouring myself another glass of wine, a somewhat symbolic act – drunk Bella, here we come.

"It's basically the end of school; they aren't making us do anything really. They're more focused on preparation for college." Oh yes, college choices. That was just another thing for me to badger her about.

"And have you made a definite choice yet?" My eyebrows rise, praying she's selected Georgetown or UCLA.

"No. I have to decide by the end of the month. It's impossible." She flops herself down to join us.

"Sweetheart, the answer will come. And if it doesn't work out at college, then travel and see parts of the world, then come back and make your choice. You're a top notch student who excels academically and athletically. Any school would be lucky to have you." I said, smiling at her. Oh my God, my daughter is the female version of my ex husband. _It__doesn__'__t__even__surprise__me._

It was all in front of her, but Amelia was like me – she didn't see things as being straightforward, but instead complicated, plus she over thinks in unhealthy quantities. "You didn't apply for Sacramento state, did you?" Alice asked with concern.

"No, I didn't. Was I meant to?" Amelia asked, looking concerned.

"I know the Dean, that's all. But you don't need connections to help you get in. You've got the brains of your parents combined." Alice said, smiling.

"You've got two of the greatest minds combined into one. _I__'__m_jealous." Rose said, and all of us that those words hardly ever came out of her mouth.

Amelia cocked an eyebrow up at her two aunts. "Thanks? Anyway, I'll be down later." She said with a smile, before disappearing upstairs to her room.

"She'll make the right decision." Rose said, comforting me, seeing that I was chewing on my bottom lip. "I mean, she truly is a bright kid."

"I'd like her going to Georgetown, but she's my baby. I want her close to home. I just don't want her to follow in her brother or her father's footsteps and go to Pennsylvania. As great as that school is, I wouldn't want her there."

"You don't trust her as much as you trust Nathan." Alice says – it was a blatant statement.

"Can you blame me? She's an eighteen year old girl. I was eighteen once, and I know exactly how her mind works."

"Yes, but remember you were married and had a baby on the way. Bella, back her up on whatever decision she makes. She might want to spend a year at home, or go away to travel and do university the year after."

"I don't want that to happen." I told my friends. They both looked at me with bemused, puzzled expressions. "I don't want that to happen because the more she sees, the less likely enticed she'll be to complete her education. I know that it might seem stupid to launch into another four years of education after you've finished thirteen years of it, but it would be the wiser option to do it and get it done with."

"Mom, we're out of pop tarts!" Amelia called from the kitchen. I didn't even hear her come down the stairs – Had she heard us gossiping about her? Most likely.

"I'll go shopping tomorrow." I called out to her, making a mental note.

"Bella, she's going to do what is best for her."

"Well, I want her to -"

"- She's going to do what's best for her." Alice said strongly, and I sighed – Alice was good at getting her message across; I just chose not to listen to it the first time. "Anyways, I'm going to go, I will speak to you soon." She said, kissing my cheek. "It's good seeing you again."

"You too Al." I smiled. "Amelia, say goodbye, Alice and Rose are leaving!"

"Bye aunt Alice!" She said, coming into the room and smiling at Alice.

"Best of luck to you Amelia, remember it's your own decision and it isn't up to anyone else." Alice reminded her with a genuine smile and kissing her cheek.

Rose brushed off the invisible crumbs from her jeans and smoothed her shirt, standing up and getting her bag. "I best be off too, everyone is most likely at home, waiting for me to cook dinner." She sighed.

"Get Emmett cooking classes for his birthday." I said, and Rose laughed.

"The last time Emmett cooked, he burnt his eyebrows off. It was shocking. And he only made grilled cheese sandwiches, for crying out loud. I don't know how he did it." She shuddered visibly and we laughed a little.

After I closed the door on Rose, Amelia started to go upstairs. "Where do you think you're going?" I asked, my eyebrow raising. I could immediately tell she was trying to not roll her eyes or stomp her foot at me, in typical adolescent fashion.

"I need to get ready to go out." She said, smiling. When she noticed my face of disapproval, her head rolled back. "Please?" Her father's eyes burned bright and I sighed intently.

"I want you home at midnight."

"One?" She pushed, a cheeky smile on her face that was exactly like my ex-husbands'.

"Twelve thirty and you have yourself a deal." I waved my hands in the air. Now that it was just us two, I found myself letting go a lot more than what I was used to.

"One? Please?"

"No." I said firmly, but the smile on my face was evident. I saw too much of myself in her.

"One it is." She said with a winning grin.

"Fine, but that means you're on house arrest for the next two weeks."

"That's unfair."

"Then be home at twelve thirty." I shrugged, smiling as I went into the kitchen and she muttered things under her breath that I couldn't hear. I sighed, looking around my empty kitchen, everything in its place. Was there really nothing I could do around here? I sighed and pulled out the wine – my only friend. I poured myself a glass and sat on the lounge and watched the television for a little while, as it would occupy my boredom, and it meant that I wouldn't be doing any work.

I should be happy. I have two beautiful, smart children who I would gladly give my life for if it meant they kept living theirs. I have a stable, well paying job, a beautiful home, and astounding friends. Why did it feel like something was missing then?

_Of __course __something __is __missing, __idiot._ _Your __love __life._

Sure, I had all these things, but I didn't have anyone to share it with. I'm a forty year old woman who fell too soon and too fast, and got caught up in it all. What once sparked had gone stale – or had it?

My thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing, and me being me, grabbed it on the first ring. Wow - I'm desperate for companionship. "Hello?"

"Bella, is Milly there?" Edward's voice greeted me and I wanted to smack myself in the head. Of course my ex-husband calls when I'm just about to start thinking about our past. _No, __don__'__t __even __go __there, __Bella._

"So no 'how are you' or 'what's up'?" I asked, smacking my palm to my forehead - literally. What the hell was I thinking? _It__'__s __been __a __solid __twelve __years, __get __over __it __already. __You __had __eleven __years __of __marriage, __it __was __a __good __run._

"How have you been?" He asked, no annoyance in his tone, as though he genuinely meant it.

"I'm…fine." I lied, knowing he would pick it up, but not say anything. "And you?"

"Never been better. Is my daughter there?" I wanted to say something insulting to him, but I resisted the urge – I was past fighting with him.

_No_, I wanted to say to him. It's our daughter – we had her together, and for the first six years of her life, he and I were 'we' and 'us'. "Yes. I'll get her." I said through clenched teeth. I got off the lounge and went upstairs and opened the door. My daughter, my eighteen year old daughter, was looking in the mirror applying whore like make up and wearing clothes that were too raunchy for a prostitute. It was not something I wanted to see, at all.

"What are you wearing?" I asked, my eyes widening in sheer horror.

"This. And can you please knock before you come in?" She asked, taking in my expression. "What's so bad about this?"

"Everything. I sure as hell never wore something like that when I was your age." I raised my eyebrows in disapproval, and then remembered Edward could probably hear everything that was happening. He's probably getting a kick out if, if anything.

"That's because you were pregnant." She muttered, thinking I didn't hear.

"Well, for saying that, you're not going out tonight." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Mom, that's so unfair!" She said, her foot stamping, hating that I was abusing my power.

"Nope, you're staying home tonight." I said, then held the phone to my ear. "She'll call you back." I didn't care about his answer; I hung up and held the phone in my hand. "You can't wear things like this. It looks trashy and terrible."

"It's a party mom, you're meant to wear stuff like this. Who was on the phone?"

"Your father, and don't change the subject." I gave her my infamous 'I mean it stare,' and she sighed, giving in. If she was being rational, she knew not to mess with me. I'm her mother, after all. "Is it really necessary to wear clothes like that at a party? You know you wouldn't be able to get away with it."

"Dad would let me."

"No, he wouldn't." Actually, she was probably right. He let her do whatever she wanted – she is his little girl. I'll never be able to understand the weird bond between father and daughter. I had Charlie, sure, but he was usually out working or fishing or parked in front of the television. He was a good dad; we just didn't have anything to talk about. We were never close, although, I did know how much he loved and cared for me.

"I'm calling dad." She said, reaching for the phone, her mood zoning from bad to worse. "I'll stay at his place over the weekend."

I felt appalled. I'm such a monster – I just chased my own daughter away. Well, there goes my nomination for mother of the year… "Why? We can stay in together and watch old movies like we used to." I said, remembering back to when we would watch 'The Philadelphia Story' and 'Singing in the Rain'. Where do the good days go?

Amelia hesitated, knowing that if she declined my offer, I'd pull the guilty mother thing. "We're barely home at the same time – when was the last time us two did something together?" I said softly.

"Ugh, fine. You give me no choice anyways." She said, rolling her eyes, as though spending quality time with me was equivalent to getting the death penalty.

I smiled with a sick kind of triumph and took the phone downstairs and put it back on the receiver. Parenting was easy, as long as you won the argument.

* * *

><p><strong>Awww yeah, back with another story!<strong> **Don't worry, we see a lot more of Edward, and the storyline eventually takes off in the next couple of chapters. I have kind of ripped off the plot from 'It's Complicated,' because let's face it, Meryl Streep owns. Please review your thoughts :)**


	2. Plans

**A/N: Hello again :) Thank you to the ones who have reviewed and favoured this story! It means a great deal to me that you guys are taking time to read this, as it is so motivational! Merry early Christmas, and the next update will take place between the 25th and the 31st. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two – Plans<strong>

**Bella's Point Of View**

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I yelled to no one while I charged down the stairs, only a towel around me. Why I didn't get a phone for upstairs I'll never know. "Hello?" I asked, breathless.

"Bella. It's me."

Oh, _joy_.

"Why are you calling me at eleven thirty on a Saturday night? What kind of trouble are you in?" I asked, suspicious. Leave it to an ex-husband to call late on a weekend, or for that matter, even call at all. Then again, why had I left having a shower this late? "Amelia's out, you know that."

"I do know that. And I'm in no trouble at all. I'm calling to ask about your plans for next weekend."

"You mean Nathan's graduation? Well, I'm flying into Philadelphia Friday night and spending two nights in a hotel with Amelia, then flying back Sunday afternoon." I'm shocked he even cared about my plans.

"Ok. Well, which one of us gets him that week?" He asked, and I raised my eyebrow, even though he couldn't see me.

"He's twenty two years old. I'm sure he'll choose somewhere to crash. If he can't make up his mind, it's your week, so he's yours if he agrees."

"Crash?" God, he was so oblivious to what crashing on someone's couch meant.

"I'm guessing Nathan will be out every night, celebrating the fact that his schooling life has finally ended, after seventeen years of education. He can stay wherever he wants. Do you really think I'm going to talk to you about his living arrangements?" I had to show my amusement – he was a little slow when it came to certain things – parenthood being one of them, slang being another. But then again, he had always been the law abiding citizen; except when it came to driving.

I heard him sigh on the other end. "I suppose you're right. Should we organise a graduation party for him then, or not bother?"

"I'm not fussed. I know Amelia wants one though for her graduation."

His tone was flat but apprehensive, "I'm not keen on that idea."

"So that means I'm having a party at my house then, does it? If you're not eager on the thought?"

"That isn't what I said, Bella."

"But we both knew that's what you were hinting at, subliminally, like always, Edward." I mocked, smiling. "Don't you have a wife to get back to? It's Saturday night, date night. Shouldn't you be out in the little free time you have?"

"Tanya is out; she's got...some dinner thing. My children are more important. You and I know that I would take a bullet for my children." He said it as though that was the end of discussion, and I didn't press him any further. It would lead to a bitter, angst filled fight – like always.

"As would I."

"So I'll see you in Philadelphia? We can talk then, about Milly."

"Amelia." I emphasised. I hated how he gave her nicknames. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodbye Bella." He said, and the line went dead, nothing but a beep every two seconds to remind me that he was gone.

* * *

><p>"Want me to meet you at the airport?"<p>

I contemplated that for a little bit, then decided against it. "No, you'll probably be busy packing away or attending classes. I wouldn't want to distract you on your final days at college."

"Ok then – if you're sure. Are you and dad coming up at the same time?" He asked, and I grimaced. Of course he was going to bring Edward up, I knew it was coming – I just didn't know when.

I gave a sigh into the phone, wishing I could change the subject. My son was an almost college graduate and I was trying to fool him – who the hell was I kidding? "Yes, we're on the same flight with Amelia. Any particular reason I should be curious as to why you're asking about him?" I heard him sigh on the other line, because he knew what the answer was. But he would never say it to me, he wouldn't admit it.

No matter how old he gets to be, he will always see myself and Edward as husband and wife, even if we're divorced and seeing other people – the latter only applies to Edward, of course. Once you love someone like that, there's no point of going through it all again with someone who isn't the one.

I really have to stop reading romance novels...

"No, no reason. I can't wait to see you." For a moment, my mind jumped back in time to when he was just a four year old, then seven, twelve, sixteen, twenty. Now he was twenty two, and that scared me. Where the hell had the time gone? The motherly quarrelling took over and my brain went haywire shortly afterwards. A sudden beep on the phone line told me someone else was trying to call. "I have to go, someone's calling me. I love you and I'll see you next week, be good!" I said, and he wished me a goodnight before hanging up.

I pressed the button for the waiting call. "Hello, Bella Cullen speaking?" I asked professionally.

"You weren't picking up your mobile, so I thought I might give this number a try." Angela said, and I smiled at the sound of her voice. God bless that woman.

"Sorry. I switched it off for some peace and quiet." I admitted, and she laughed before getting to the nitty gritty details.

"Just letting you know that Mr Black_ finally_ got back to me and he apologises for cancelling the Friday afternoon meeting, and we have successfully moved it to tomorrow morning, eight o'clock. He's looking to buy out the old building around the corner from our office and transform it into new headquarters for a web designing company." Whoever this guy was, he had scheduled about a thousand meetings since March and then ended up cancelling them. I had never spoken to him over the phone, as Angela was more than willing to. I think she may have developed a crush on him, even though she had never seen him.

"Email me his contact numbers please and I'll call him tomorrow morning." I said to Angela, because I had most likely lost the previous email.

"Will do, boss." She said with a humorous laugh, before hanging up. I hung up myself and put the phone on the receiver, and retrieved my laptop, turning it on. I turned my mobile on and discovered I had three missed calls – all from Angela, the World's Greatest Assistant (I bought her the coffee mug to prove it). I opened up the new email with the web design guy's phone numbers that had been sent two minutes prior and saved the entry in my phone before deciding to do some work, seeing that I had nothing better to do.

Hours went by and I soon found my fingers on the keyboard were moving slower, my eyes drooping. I looked at the time, and discovered it was almost one in the morning. Crap – my whole evening had flown by, and I barely got anything done. I saved everything and shut my laptop down, and went upstairs into the bathroom. I looked at the tired old face staring back and sighed. Forty years old, single, with children and a career that ran my life.

I should do something exciting when Amelia leaves for college. I should go around the world, go to places, travel. I never had the money to do so, but I do now. Nathan would get his own place, get a job, get his life together.

For that moment, I was excited, happy, bursting out of my skin.

But then again, on the other hand, what would be the point of going places by yourself with nobody to enjoy it with?

* * *

><p>"Mr Black." I said formally, standing up behind my desk like a school student when someone authority looing walked in. The first thing I noticed was that he was tall, dark, and young. He was a cool looking guy, with dark, shiny black hair and white teeth; the colour of pearls. He wore a plain button down shirt with dark jeans and I wondered idly if this was his ideal work attire. "Have a seat." I smiled. Angela followed shortly afterwards, and as his back was turned she was making signals behind his back, indicating how gorgeous he was. Obviously I wasn't the only one who found him strikingly handsome, and I now realised why she had gladly jumped through hoops to reschedule his meetings.<p>

"Thank you, Mrs Cullen. But please, call me Jacob." He said with a broad smile, and I grimaced as a reflex. He saw this as he sat down, and his face dropped. "...Or not?"

"Just ms, actually."

"Ah, so I'm not the only one who's divorced in the room." He said, winking at me. I quirked an eyebrow, and wondered why anyone would want to divorce him. "I was twenty two, we met in Vegas, and yes, we got drunk, and yes, we had a shotgun wedding, and we got divorced a month later."

I really did want to laugh, but I restrained myself from doing so. I couldn't believe that kind of thing actually happened. "You can laugh if you want. We were too different anyway." He noticed my expression again and I cleared my throat, but with a smile attached.

"Enough about our personal lives. Would you like anything to drink?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Water will do." I nodded to Angela and she nodded back and smiled dazzlingly at Jacob before getting a glass of water.

"So I hear you want the building around the corner from here for a Web Designing Company?" I asked, as water was placed in front of him. He smiled in appreciation at Angela, who almost lost it completely as she turned on her heel and exited my office.

"Sure do. I set up the company myself and it's grown over time. We're based in south central but I took a look at that building and I instantly knew that's where I wanted to base it at. Besides, the location is idealistic and I hear the space is great. And to top it all off, where better than the business district of downtown Los Angeles anyway?" His charming, boyish grin told me that there was no way I was going to decline this. The aura that surrounded him was very appealing, and if he was looking to buy, then a hefty commission was certainly on my way.

"Well, I can take you on a tour if you like."

"That sounds great. Let me just check." He said, whipping out a personal organiser. I followed suit, except I opted for my rustic daily planner – a Christmas present from Angela. She knew better than to opt for technological gadgets – having an iPod was hard enough to work with. The only possible time I could do it would be two weeks from now. Friday afternoon was free, but I had deliberately done that so I could get on the plane in time. "I've got this Friday afternoon free, but otherwise, the next time I can do it would be about three, four weeks from now." He said, resting his personal organiser in his lap as he took a sip of water and placed it back down.

This could only happen to me, couldn't it?

"I have that afternoon free too, but I kind of have to be somewhere."

"Where?" He asked, intrigued.

"On a plane." I said, and his face dropped.

It was silent for a little bit, and I took a sip of water, contemplating. "We would have to make it really fast." I said, joining the tips of my fingers together as I placed my elbows on my desk.

"I'm always fast." He said, nodding with enthusiasm, then winking again. I cringed at the obvious insinuation and Jacob laughed – the sound was low and I swore the floor rumbled. "Sorry."

"Don't be – There's barely any humour in my life."

"So now I'm your comical relief and your client? Awesome." He flashed another smile, and I swore to God he winked at me. This man, who was probably twenty eight or twenty nine, sent a wink at me.

"So, meet outside the building at three o'clock on the dot. We'll have to be as quick as we can because I really have to get that plane." I said, making sure he wasn't going to cancel nor be late.

He nodded and stood up, his hand outstretched. "I'll be there with bells on. It was good to meet you, Ms Cullen. I look forward to working with you." I took his hand in mine and smiled. "Oh, and I'm sorry for cancelling the other day. I had a meeting with another web designing firm. Oh, here's my card." He said, his hands searching through his pockets. He pulled out a plain white card that had small black squares in the corners and in the middle it proudly read 'Black Web Design' then had his name and numbers.

"I've already got your details." I said, holding my phone.

He shrugged as he went toward the door. "Always gotta have a back up." And just like that, he was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you're thinking about this story, where you think it's heading and why, etc. Thanks for reading :)<strong>


	3. Take Off

**Chapter Three – Take Off**

**Edward's Point Of View**

I was sure to make no sound when I turned the key to the front door, closing it over gently, praying to God that I don't wake anybody up. There is not a need for it anyway, alas; she is already there, waiting for me, her eyes bright and expecting, her lips curling into a smile as her eyes rake over me hungrily.

Do I love her?

The real question was did it matter if love was in the picture or not? No, not at all. But I must love her, seeing as though we've been together for a number of years now, on and off, on and off.

"Welcome home." She purrs into my ear, her fingers rapidly unbuttoning my shirt for a number of reasons; we hadn't had sex in about five or six days, which basically pushed her limit, she was tried of waiting up for me and was urgent for intercourse, and lastly, because she wanted to go to bed fully satisfied. I kind of want to laugh, act as though it's all a joke – but it isn't. This is literally what it comes down to most nights. I toss a lazy smile to her, running my hand through her hair and kissing her lips when she stands upright. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." I answer intuitively, and I follow her to the bedroom. As we undress, we talk about our day; we discuss the mundane events of day to day life, except only using twenty words or less – the less talking in the bedroom, the better – apparently. I leave out everything that involves other women, so my stories are rather short anyway. The only female I'm allowed to talk about is Milly. Bella is off limits, no exceptions – I had many reasons behind this theory but I was not about to enter that whole topic with Tanya. Tanya crawls into bed with me and I yawn, indicating that I'm not in the mood, even though she had basically undressed me like a four year old.

"Come on." She said, nudging me, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Not tonight. I have to get a good sleep because I'm going to Pennsylvania this weekend, remember?" I told her, faking a yawn. She rested her head on my chest, too tired herself to press even more, and I absentmindedly stroked her hair.

"I wish I could forget." She mumbled under her breath. "Yes, I know. When are you getting in?"

"Sunday evening. And I'm leaving early tomorrow morning for work and going straight to the airport, so this will be the last time I see you." I said quietly.

"So let's take advantage of the time we have to soak up our last moments together." She said, licking her lips as she disappeared underneath the sheets, taking me with her.

* * *

><p>I woke up before the sun rose, and hopped into the shower as the sheets peeled away from my body. I washed myself, shampooed and got out, wrapping a towel around my waist. From there, I retrieved the lone suitcase I owned, and packed for Philadelphia. Although I had the entire day to get through, and the flight, I started to piece together an apology towards my son, as that was what had been haunting my mind since I had called Bella. I hadn't been good to him when he told me his...<em>revelation<em>. Why was it even a big deal for me? God knows what I even said to him at the time, I had been so mad, and for what?

I didn't have the answers.

This really pissed me off, because I liked having answers, to have everything figured out. I was not one to live a disorganised, unanswered life.

Tanya grunted and moved around in the sheets. I kissed her head, wishing she would sleep peacefully. She kicked in her sleep, very violently, I may add. Not like Bella. Bella called my name in her sleep; she worried about everyone and everything. It was...cute. It was also in the past, gone, forever. There would be no revisiting the past. But I couldn't help it – my mind escaped me sometimes. I was betting on near mid-life crisis.

I put my travel information in the side pocket of my suitcase, wrote a goodbye note to Tanya and Matthew, and was out the door at five thirty. I arrived at the hospital, parked in my usual spot, and grabbed a coffee before putting my coat on, and wrapping the stethoscope around my neck. I headed into my office, saying hello politely on the way. Today was going to be hard to get through, words would keep racing through my mind – things I wanted to say, things I needed to say, things that I could say that I knew would hurt him. I didn't want to hurt him – I was going to be reasonable and rational about approaching him, about the way I was going to apologize and the way I want things to be between us.

He is my only son, and he is my first born. Although he is more like his mother in appearance, his personality is identical to mine. His blood and my blood are the same, I am his only father. I have to come to terms with him being who he is – that was my current main priority.

I rub my face many times around my jaw area while I speak to a bunch of interns, telling them what to do, where they go, who they're going to assist. I make my way to the maternity ward, the children's ward, the emergency room. Everything that is in my peripherals is just a blur, a haze of different coloured scrubs, different coloured skin, and the white floor that was spotless for a change. I get the chance to glance up at the clock, and its three thirty. Shit. Where does the time go?

I go straight to my office and close the door, switching the computer off and gathering my things. From there, I change my clothes and turn my phone on, and notice I have a missed call from Bella. She's probably wondering where the hell I am. I say goodbye to everyone as I walk down the corridors of the hospital as people in various states – healthy, unhealthy, bleeding, clean – are focused on the present; what's _going to happen to me? When are the test results going to come in? _

And the most common of all – _Am I going to die?_

I get to my car and speed off as I call Bella. She picks up on the fourth ring, which is uncharacteristic for her. "Edward, are you there yet?" She seems frenzied, trying desperately to not sound hysterical.

I notice her choice of words. "Where are you?" I ask suspiciously, my mind sending off alerts.

She hesitates to answer. "I'm finishing up with a potential client."

"Good, we're both late then." How wonderful, Nathan will be so happy to see that his parents don't care about his graduation. My mind then races to my next child. "Where's Milly?"

"I thought you were picking her up?" I traced back to two nights ago when she had told me she was going to make her own way there – she was too smart, knowing that both her parents were rarely ever punctual, even from the beginning.

"She said she was going to meet me at the airport." I objected, switching my indicator to get into the next lane. _I have to make this flight, I have to_. I hear Bella sigh with relief.

"I'll meet you there; I'm getting in the car now." She hangs up, and I roll my eyes at her lie. Who does she think she's trying to kid? I was her husband for eleven years, but we made the mistake of falling in love too young, we moved too fast. But I have not forgotten her habits; her likes and dislikes, her quirks and pet hates and the things that made her smile, laugh and blush.

That's the thing about love – once you commit to that one person, you learn absolutely everything there is to know. And even when it's ended, it's still there. The information you absentmindedly picked up on is permanent, there is no way to get rid of it.

I park the car and practically rip my suitcase out of the car and lock it. In the next moments, I'm walking up towards the entrance of the airport when I see Bella get out of a taxi, looking stressed as hell and very guilty. I approach her and she jumps when she sees me, then places a hand over her heart, very dramatically. "Relax." I tell her, paying the cab driver for her.

"Don't, I've got it." She says, then gets her own money out and exchanges the money, putting it into my hand. "I can look after myself." She tells me in an authoritative tone. I let my eyes wander over her body; despite the years, she's still thin, with collarbones that are peeking out at me from a long, black trench coat. Her legs are tall and yet she is still short, not having grown since the age of nineteen. Her peaches and cream complexion is firmly intact, and she certainly does not look old enough to be forty.

And then I recall her words in my mind, and wonder who she was trying to convince – me, or herself. We enter the airport together and wait in line for baggage claim. "We're going to be so late." Bella says, tapping her foot and chewing her bottom lip – a habit of hers. "I'll never forgive myself if I miss that flight." I nod silently in agreement and pull my phone out, dialling for Milly.

"Dad?"

"Where are you?" I ask with that fatherly tone in my voice, still not knowing how it got there.

"I'm waiting at the gate. Where are you?"

"Myself and your mother are in the line for baggage claim – if they start to load people on and we aren't there, tell them to wait."

"Stop being so dramatic, I'm not going to do that. You'll make it in time." That's my daughter – determined, confident, positive. We talk a little bit more, and I notice that Bella is listening too. When I hang up, her brows furrow together, and she bites her lip again. I'm reminded of when I proposed to her, images of what feels like a past life flash through my mind. _We were so young..._

We gather our tickets and register our bags, and then we're lining up for a security check. "Ugh," Bella says next to me, grabbing a standard, grey coloured container and placing her carry on and phone side by side in the container. God I hated the futility of airport security, or what at least seemed like it. Calmly, she walks through the security check and when she reaches the other side, she gives a triumphant smile. I do the same, and no alarm is sounded. "I hate those – I've got a fear that it'll go off and then I'll be interrogated or tortured." Like I said – it was infuriating and made palms and foreheads sweat.

"You watch too much of those airport shows. You were always watching that stuff just to freak yourself out." She nudges me playfully as a response to my words, and then the realisation striked – it's reflected in her eyes. "We can be normal people, Bella." I insist, but she shakes her head, disagreeing entirely with my pre-conceived concept that I, on more than one occasion, had tried to express to her. She wouldn't hear of it. I vaguely hear a woman talking on the monitor, announcing that the flight we're on was now boarding.

"No, we can't. Now let's go, or we're not going to make this flight. It means as much to me as it does to you and him." She races ahead of me, but soon after I'm right next to her, dodging people who are in as much as a hurry as us. It reminds me of the hospital, and I sigh. Work was always going to be on my mind, as much as I cared to admit.

We reach the terminal gate and join the long line of people, their impatience clear across their face. I can see the air hostesses checking people's tickets and I sigh out of relief – we made it. "Thank God." Bella says to herself, a hand on her heart. She was always that dramatic...it had slipped my mind. I spot Milly, her head turned toward me, looking a bit anxious but disguising it well. She then spots me, and jumps out of her place from the line and rushes into Bella's arms.

The sight of them embracing reminds me that we could be together - not just myself and Bella, but also with Milly, and Nathan. _Imagine if we never broke up, just imagine_...but I couldn't. The very thought of getting back together and patching things up was too weird. Besides, I was too old to repeat the same old story. It was partly why I liked the circumstance that Tanya and I are currently in.

But if I could get one night alone with Bella, one night to reignite the spark that had burnt out, what would I do? Would i woo her, charm her to no end, and flirt my brains out until she was mine for a short, temporary moment? I never got the old Bella, now that she's career orientated, she's accepted the fact that her and I are divorced, and that I have moved on.

But if I had the chance to fall in love with her all over again, would I do it?

* * *

><p>Bella crosses her arms in a huff, sighing with dissatisfaction. The seating arrangements hadn't gone in either of our favours – both of us wanted to be seated away from each other, and of course, we get the seats next to each other. "At least let me have the window seat." Bella says, trying to see out of the tiny glass frame that my body is blocking, needing a compromise – or rather, me to just give up the seat.<p>

"I happen to enjoy the window seat." I told her, not budging or falling for the manipulation act like I had so many times before. She gives me a death stare and then rummages through her bag, and pulls out the old, tattered book that I instantly recognise. I roll my eyes, and wear a face of disgust. Was she trying to piss me off?

Because, well, she was.

"That thing is falling apart. I wouldn't even call it a book." I criticized with disgust.

"You say that every time I read it." She scowls. "Let me enjoy this."

"Now that you've said that, no, I don't think I will. Besides, I've nothing better to do. Isn't the same old tale of Heathcliff and Cathy getting just a little old?" I replied smartly, grinning as her face grew hard, fighting a smile. She liked it when we discussed literature; we could argue books and the motives of authors and composers until we were ninety.

"I like knowing how things are going to end – and I like Wuthering Heights, so leave me alone and do whatever it is that you get to do in the leisure time you have." Leisure time wasn't an option when I was with Tanya and worked ungodly hours. I never had time to myself, ever – there was always something to do, and it was good and bad at the same time.

As I was about to say something back, an old woman in the row in front of us, who had obviously been eavesdropping on our bickering, turned around and smiled. I knew exactly what she was going to say, and I prepared myself. "Can I help you?" Bella asked from next to me, also noticing the woman. She touched her fraying, grey hair and smiled wider.

"Oh, people in love!" She exclaims, her smile broad. I stroked my jaw line, wanting to say the words. _I'm not in love with her. _"Surely by now you've moved past the fighting stage."

"Oh, no..." Bella says quietly under her breath, mumbling, and then speaking up. "We aren't together. Anymore." The woman's face dropped, and I sighed heavily. Why must people always eavesdrop, and assume...

Milly popped out from next to the woman, and I was aware that both of them had listened to the words I had previously said to Bella, and vice versa. "I'm terribly sorry, it just looks like..." The woman didn't bother to finish her sentence, slowly turning around and sitting down. Milly smirked at me and Bella narrowed her eyes at her.

"Is there any way you guys can speak quietly to each other? The plane hasn't even left yet and you're already starting to fight." She says in a pleading, convincing tone. Bella's head rolls back and she mouths words that I cannot decipher. Just then, the Captain gives a message, welcoming passengers, and soon enough, the plane starts up and starts to finally move.

Right as we take off, Bella's hand grabs onto my wrist, and as I turn to look at her, her eyes widen significantly, but she doesn't take her hand off me. "I hate this part," She says, and I nod, understanding that she's embarrassed about this. She lets go when the plane is levelled in the air, and she relaxes into her seat and gets back to reading her book, her eyes fixed on the yellow, torn pages.

"Where's the rendition of Wuthering Heights that I got you for your birthday? What did you do with that?" I asked, and she slaps her book down.

"I threw it out after you moved." She says sternly. "Now shut up and let me read in peace, or I swear to God, I will shed blood." She picks her book up and starts reading, and I don't bother her again. Instead, I get out a book of my own and begin to read, and settle for the long journey ahead as the fear in the back of my mind settles uneasily.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you all had wonderful Christmas'! I won't be updating for about fivesix days, so please please please review! Happy nearly new year readers :)**


	4. Persistence

**Chapter Four – Persistence**

**Edward's Point Of View**

He didn't wait for us at the gate when the plane arrived. Granted, he was probably finishing packing or something, but still – we _are_ his family. It didn't hurt me nearly as much as it hurt Bella though. She was going to be distraught all weekend - stressed, emotional. "He didn't say he was going to meet us, remember?" I reminded her.

"I know, I just wish he could surprise me." She said, trying to act strong. She pushed her shoulders back and kept walking out the gate, and I followed, along with Milly, who had her iPod in, and from what I assumed, couldn't hear anything anyone told her. "And I really wish she would take those things out of her ears." Bella sighs through clenched teeth, her hand on her forehead, trying to maintain patience.

"You remember how much music means to someone - especially a teenager." I raised my eyebrows to emphasise that fact. Bella purses her lips together, her lips trying to fight a smile; she knows I'm referring to the both of us. Our love of music only meant that we became a whole lot closer. As we walk side by side, I reminisce over the days when we were together – youthful, full of life, madly in love, married. It felt like the best days were behind me, and I deeply wanted to argue against that, but it was partially true.

Tanya is truly great, and although I've been with her for a while, I'm not sure if I truly love her or not. At times I wanted to be, and others, I prayed that she hadn't conquered my heart. With her, I felt whole, however, if it made any sense, or counted for anything, I felt more whole with Bella. I didn't quite understand how it worked, and at the same time, I did. Although, I didn't want to compare the two, because there was no common ground – they were polar opposites.

"Are you staying at the same place as me?" Bella asked, turning to me as we waited awkwardly for our baggage. We stood together, but also stood apart – as though we were close, but not literally together. The way we stood, like our history, was complicated.

"Yes." It was silent again, and out of nowhere, the words came. "Do you want to get a drink or something later on tonight?"

She gave a wistful smile, her skin not moving an inch. Age didn't show on Bella's face – even though she and I are the same age, her face is still smooth and flawless; she was lucky. "And how wise do you think that is, Edward?"

"Nil." I realised.

"I agree." She says, and her phone rings.

**Bella's Point Of View**

"Jacob, I wasn't expecting a call from you." I say, surprise colouring my tone. He laughs on the other end, a rich, deep, throaty sound. I enjoy it, and I smile. I don't miss my ex-husband's scowl though – jealous bastard.

"I just wanted to say thanks for showing me around this afternoon. I appreciate it, even though I didn't get much out of it. I'm sure we can reschedule that excursion, hmm?"

"Yes, of course. Although, it will be a while, I'm pretty booked out for the next couple of weeks or so."

"Well I was thinking we can talk about the building itself in detail over lunch? I think I just want to buy it now, get it over and done with, you know? And if lunch doesn't go smoothly, we can take another long tour around it together." He gets his point across efficiently, refraining from beating around the bush, a smile in his tone as the words flowed. I smile too, and I notice how Edward is staring at me, very disapprovingly.

"Sounds like a date." I say, locking eyes with Edward. _That's right, I can play too_. "I'll call you next week."

"I look forward to it." He says. "Enjoy your trip, buy more Kleenex." He teases and I chuckle.

The line disconnects, and I put my phone away. "Who was that?" Edward asks – nosy, as always.

"A client." I answer, ignoring his stare. Edward nods slowly and for a moment, a silence takes place.

"But you said it was a date."

I roll my eyes. "For Christ's sake Edward, why do you care?" I spot my suitcase and I dash into the crowd of people and pull it off the conveyor belt. I make my way to Amelia, who has her suitcase.

"Taxi?" She asks, and I nod, making my way away from the baggage claim.

"Bella, wait!" Edward says, jogging to me. I turn around and wait for him to speak again. "Can we share a cab?" He asks, and I sigh heavily, seeing there was really no reason not to.

"I guess it's convenient, seeing we're going to the same place." Edward agrees with a nod and Amelia and I head outside, and wait for him as he goes back to claim his baggage. I also see him pick up his phone, and faintly hear the words '_hey, baby_,' leave his lips. I cannot help but visibly shudder. _Her_.

"Is it going to be awkward with dad and Nathan?" Amelia asks, looking at me.

"I really hope not. He better be patient with him." I warn.

"Who are we talking about?" She asks, puzzled.

I answer first with a sly smile. "Both of them." After all, Nathan had inherited Edward's short temper, which really wasn't wonderful. As Edward reaches us with one suitcase, I hail a cab, which is never hard to do at an airport. The driver pulls over and we load the suitcases in. Of course, Amelia takes the front seat, leaving Edward and I in the back. She gives me an evil little smile before clicking her seat belt in, and I shake my head, wondering how on Earth I gave birth to a she-devil.

After giving the address of the hotel, the driver re-ignites the car and races off. A familiar song plays, and I find two of my fingers tapping in time with the beat on my thigh. I freeze as I realise why the song is so familiar while I hear Edward chuckle darkly, also recognising the tune. "It could only happen to us." He reminds me, and I nod as I smile timidly.

"I have climbed, highest mountains. I have run through the fields."

"Only to be with you."

We laugh as we sing quietly to each other, wondering if it was fate or coincidence. Amelia turns around and looks at both of us as if we're crazy, which I wouldn't doubt. "Hey, this is a good song." I tell her, as Edward nods in agreement. In fact, I think she may have been conceived to this song...

"Whatever." She says, turning back around and rolling her eyes. It was terrible how she had disregarded U2 like that. Edward meets my eye, and he reads my face and grins. _Yes_, Amelia was indeed conceived to this song. We both burst out laughing in the back of a cab in Philadelphia, and I wonder how all of this happened.

Soon enough, Edward's phone rings, cutting our U2/embarrass our daughter/act like civilised human beings session. He picks up immediately, and I look at him with pure disgust. "Hey baby." He says with a sigh. She called twice in the span of five minutes? Talk about short leashed...

"No, she took another cab." He says, not making eye contact with me. So, Edward was still a liar.

How I wanted to take the phone and tell the bitch to stop being so conscious, so paranoid that if Edward came into contact with any woman, that it would surely be the end of whatever they've got going. It was irony at its best – He cheats on me with her, yet now that she's 'bagged' him, she's totally shitting herself because she thinks he's going to cheat; funny how that happened. They had been on and off for the past twelve years for God's sake, and I knew enough to know that it's all her. Besides, she's obviously not trustworthy if they break up, then she has a kid, and comes crawling back to him.

"Alright, I'll speak to you tomorrow then. Bye." He hangs up and sighs, rubbing his hand along his jaw line.

"No bittersweet parting?" I mock, batting my eyelashes.

"Nope." Edward says curtly.

"Is it weird that I'm talking about the woman who split our marriage up so normally?"

"Yes."

"How is the home wrecker these days?"

Edward gives me a sharp, intense glare. "It was my fault, not hers." He says seriously, and I scoff.

Wrong, Edward. "It was both of you."

"Well forgive me then. Oh wait, haven't you spent the last twelve years trying to do exactly that?"

"Stop being such a smartass. You know perfectly well that you -"

"Mom, dad, shut up." Amelia says loudly, interrupting our incessant bickering. We both stare at her and I nod, embarrassed.

"Sorry." I say childishly, dropping my head. The car stops, and I notice the bright lights outside. I don't pay, leaving it to my ex husband, and get out of the cab and going to the boot, waiting for the driver to unlock it. He races around the side of the cab and takes the suitcases out and wishes us a good night. I nod graciously, a little emotional, and turn and walk indoors into the hotel. People are coming in and out, dressed in formal attire like dark cocktail dresses with silk ties and whatnot. When I reach the front desk, the woman behind it smiles at me, beckoning me to come closer.

I give her my name and she checks me in along with Amelia, making sure we've booked a two bedroom suite. I'm about to give details over when my phone buzzes and I sigh heavily, knowing its work. "Excuse me, I have to take this." I smile politely to the woman and move away from the desk and when I look at the caller ID, the smallest of chuckles escapes me. "Good evening Elezear."

"Evening. Just checking in, hoping you didn't die on the flight or anything." He has an irrational fear of flying, as well as being on boats. That was just irony at its best, seeing that he owned at least three yachts _and_ a private jet.

"The percentage of a plane crashing is really very low. I'm completely fine."

"Good to hear – I can't lose you, your far too good. Remember the gala next Friday night; are you bringing anyone special that I should know about?"

"No, you know me. I'm not one to bring people along to those types of lavissh events and bring them down into the pits of hell with me – Not like you." I tease, and he gives a bright laugh.

"I will speak to you on Monday; I hope your son does you proud." He says earnestly, and hangs up before I can say that he already has done me proud. I put my phone back and return to the desk where Amelia and Edward are waiting – the bastard cut in line.

"Ok, credit card details?" I ask the woman, and she gives an embarrassed smile. Not on her account, but for mine. Well, shit, that could never be a good thing.

"Your husband has already paid in advance while you were on the phone. You two make such a lovely couple." She gushed, and I shook my head with great pain while Amelia smirked at the floor while Edward held back a laugh. Just because he had money, didn't mean he could flaunt it like the idiot he was. And he knows how much I despise it when people pay anything for me, that is, with the exception of the cab just beforehand. That he deserved to pay for.

"We're divorced, actually." I inform her, and she looked confused. "Actually, it's quite a good story. See, we had children really young, and of course, late into my twenties I discover him and some -"

"Thank you very much." Edward says over the top of me, his hand around my mouth. I roll my eyes as he pulls on my arm, tugging me away from the front desk. "Must you be so pissy?" He hisses in my ear as he removes his hand from my mouth.

"Must you be so arrogant?" I shrug, yawning. "Why are you lying to her? Hmm?" I bicker, wanting to hit him. I restrain my hand and put it behind my back, my fingers twitching.

"Relax, it's just some harmless fun."

"Don't get cocky with me."

"You shouldn't pay for your accommodation, Bella."

I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms. "Why not?"

"Because you paid for majority of Nate's college tuition and it's not fair because you never let me help you out with any of the finances."

"I really hate to bring this up, but I make a lot more than you, and it's not like Nate would want you pitching in with the bills. He paid most of it; I just helped him when he needed it."

"Still though, it's also about you. I was the sole provider for when we were married, and that was only because we had children young and one of us had to get a job to keep us going. I never really said it enough back then, so I'll say it now; you did a lot more than what you should have, and I'll always respect you for that."

I put a hand on my heart. "Thanks. But why did you say I was your wife? Now it's going to show that we're in different suites and such."

"That's the other thing...I was going to suggest that Milly have my room and we share. It isn't as though we're going to be sleeping together, and the suite is huge, it'll be like living in a different place, trust me." I shook my head slowly from side to side, just knowing he was sick in the head, or he had just changed immensely in the span of one hundred seconds.

"That isn't such a great idea."

"Just go with it, please? For me? For the sake of our daughter's privacy?"

"You make a good point there." I knew that sharing with Amelia meant phone calls that went into the early hours of the morning and that same Facebook pop up noise, or whatever it is that the kids are calling it these days. And anyone that knew me understood that in the mornings, I was far from a happy camper.

"Fine."

We made our way back to the desk and faked happiness until we were safely in the elevator. "How long is Nathan's graduation going to be?" Amelia asked, not looking up from her phone.

"A handful of hours." I respond, trying to keep my eyes awake. I don't know what had hit me, but I really needed to sleep. The elevator let us off, and Amelia said goodnight to us both as she headed into her room down the opposite way.

As Edward dug out his key card for our suite, he started talking again. "When were you ever this chatty?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"I honestly don't know. But then again, the last time we had a conversation like this was probably when we were together."

"Fun times. We must have a lot to catch up on then." He found the key and nodded as he opened the door to the magnificent and oversized room – it was more like an apartment, what with its colour scheme that flowed throughout the rooms, topped with antique chairs and tables that smelled of fresh wood and pine, not to mention the various artworks and state of the art technology that filled the vacant spaces.

"Speaking of catching up, how about we have dinner together then?" He asked, and I raised both my eyebrows at Edward, a small grin on his face. First he was offering a drink, now dinner?

"What a brilliant idea." I said sarcastically. "Having dinner with my ex-husband, wow. I'm definitely going to do that." I turn away and he pulls me back, rolling my waist around to face him, so my whole body does too. "Don't touch me."

"Just one dinner, Bella. It doesn't have to mean anything." He pressures, his eyes glistening with uncertainty.

I stay stationary for a moment, then decide my action. "Fine," I sigh, "you win."

"Good. I'll be downstairs in the bar area and we'll go from there."

God, I hated letting him win.

* * *

><p><strong>Keep your eyes peeled for next update! Thanks for reading, please review :) Because next chapter, IT BEGINS!<strong>


	5. Window Of Opportunity

**Chapter Five – Window Of Opportunity**

**Bella's Point Of View**

I look good.

_God_, I look good. I mean, I'm not usually this pompous and conceited, but I really do look good. I run my fingers through my hair one more time, giving it that sexy va-voom that any female on the planet craves. It's good that this was all turning out in my favour, appearance-wise. I wasn't keen on the idea at first, but after having a hot shower, I felt just about ready to accomplish anything. I pushed my shoulders back, revealing my collarbones to a further extent, and smiled, happy. I put some perfume on, put a peppermint in my mouth, grabbed my clutch and hotel room key card, and left. As I walked down the hallway, I wondered why I was having dinner with my ex-husband.

Maybe he missed me.

Or maybe he was filling in time.

I really didn't know.

The elevator doors opened, and I entered, pressing the button for the first floor. On the way down, an elderly couple walked in, holding hands and smiling at each other. I fought the tears and wondered if I myself would ever find anyone who I could spend the rest of my life with. I had been through one marriage, but it wasn't like I wouldn't do it again – It just had to be the right person. Funny thing was, although I was incredibly young, I really thought Edward was my one and only. And the thing was, I wasn't sure if I was well and truly over him. I honestly wasn't sure.

I walked out and into the lobby and crossed the marble floors to the carpeted bar area. Soft jazz was playing somewhere, the area was relatively empty. And of course, there was Edward, sitting in the centre of the bar, his head pointed downwards, his hands holding the glass of brandy. Calmly, I walked over and sat next to him and he looked up and did a double take.

Excellent.

"You clean up rather well."

"You said that on our wedding day."

He smiled and chuckled with humour. "I didn't think you'd remember."

I laughed a little. "I remember everything." God, that was simply depressing.

"Surely not everything. Do you remember Jasper dragging himself over your mother?"

I _laughed_ – I really laughed. Turns out I didn't remember everything. "Oh God, I had forgotten about that. She thought she was the hottest thing then, and of course, had decided to lead him on. What a tease." I had remembered one pissed Alice that night too, for almost copping Jasper over his blonde head with one of her heels.

"So that's where you got it from. I must admit, I would be a little worried if you said that was from Charlie's side." He remarked, a sly smile plastered on his face as he took another sip of his drink. If he was referring to my flirtatious ways, he was sadly mistaken - they had never existed.

I looked at him sceptically. "Me? _A tease_? You have got to be joking."

He shook his head, smiling. "I'm serious. When I first met you, you teased me for months."

"I didn't, I was shy and afraid!" I exclaimed in response, smiling at the bartender who was looking at me expectantly. "Oh, sorry. Do you have a dinner menu?"

The bartender nods in response, "yes, we do." Edward turned to me and I looked at him as though he were stupid, which at the moment, he was. I guess I should evaluate, instead of thinking he could read minds.

"I'll be too drunk to get back here if we go out and start drinking now. We've got the bar right here; we can snack on peanuts while we wait for our food and not waste money on cab fares." I declare.

"Not that it matters." He says, and then looks at the bartender who hands us menus. "We'll have your finest red wine please." The bartender nods and hurries off, and Edward turns back to me with one final swig of brandy.

"You're slack." I say to him, observing the menu.

I sneak a glance at him and he looks appalled. "As if."

"You know my tolerance for red wine, or should I say lack thereof. You're going to get me drunk, aren't you?"

He cocks an eyebrow up. "There may be a slight possible chance."

"You're crude and vile."

"And you're obnoxious and pissy, but who's counting?" He grins, and I playfully hit him. "But seriously, you really do look beautiful tonight. Are you trying to score brownie points?"

"Now who's counting?" I say, wiggling my eyebrows. He laughs loudly, his _real_ laugh, and I smile. The bartender returns, and we begin drinking and discussing our lives after we've ordered food – his job, my job, avoiding the topics of my nonexistent, dismal love life and his controlled and tamed one. We talk about children, friends, death, family, and our hopes and dreams, things we could've accomplished but never did. It was hard to believe that this was normal conversation - it was as though I were dining with Alice or Rose, and I had to admit, it was nice to reach a point of normalcy with Edward.

An empty plate and three or four wines later (which, was probably around the six or seven mark), I put my hand on his forearm, leaning in to him, launching into the past yet again. "Remember the time, I'm pretty sure you were about three months pregnant, and you fell over, and you thought you had wet yourself, when you had only fallen into a puddle? God, that was so funny!" Edward laughed, pushing his empty dinner plate aside, tears falling from the corner of his eyes, the only time you were able to see his real age – otherwise, his face was flawless.

I hid my face in my hands. "No, that was terrible. I was so scared, and it was in public...no..." I laughed, not able to complete my sentence. "Well, I can top that. I remember Amelia, when she was about two, punched you right in the crotch, and you just walked off into our bedroom and she was crying because she had no idea what she had just done."

"Hey, that really hurt, you wouldn't understand." He said, chuckling.

I raised my eyebrows. "Seriously? If you don't recall, I've been in labour twice, and each have been over ten hours and natural births, and I believe that labour hurts a lot more than being punched in the balls by a two year old."

"I know," He says quietly. "I was there for both of them."

"The labour and the ball punching or the two labours?" I question, although it's pointless – I know what he's implying, and that is that he was present for both of the births of our kids and that he really isn't a bad father. I hate to admit it, but in general, he really is an outstanding dad, and although I would never confess, I was thankful for the things that he did for our family.

He rolls his eyes. "I worry about you sometimes."

"It was a joke." I say, brushing it off.

Edward, however, shakes his head from side to side, indicating that I had interpreted his statement incorrectly. "No, I really do worry about you sometimes, Bella. What happens when Milly moves out, and you're all alone? What are you going to do?" He asks, his hands on the sides of my arms.

"I don't quite know yet."

Truth is, I knew exactly what was going to happen. I _was_ going to end up alone – I was going to move into a little old shack with a broken front porch and spend my last dying days on a rocking chair surrounded by millions of cats and shooting bullets at children's feet who would come down the lane to throw eggs at my house. I was to be the crazy old cat woman, destined to be alone until I was found dead in my own home by feral, stray dogs.

"Bella, you are beautiful, you're going to find someone. Someone is going to love you and marry you and spend his life with you."

God, he was drunk. "Don't look at me like that." He says, his eyes peering at me. "I'm in a perfect state of mind."

"I've never seen you so drunk." I say smoothly, my eyes locking with his.

"Except for...well, our first night," He says, staring at the floor.

"I thought that night was never to be bought up for the rest of our lives." I quoted him rather accurately.

Edward chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "I have to admit, you're very good. I've always known you were good." That night I wasn't – I was more than drunk and as a price to pay, I spent nine months with my first born in me.

A deep red blush settles over my face and neck, and he chuckles. "I loved that blush." He says quietly.

"Don't – you're embarrassing me."

"Well, you were good! Or maybe you still are, I don't know. How many years has it been since we did it?" He questions, pouring more wine.

I stay quiet, the double digit number clear in my mind, evident as ever. "Ten years."

"And when was the last time you had sex with someone?" I look at him, wondering why I was answering all these questions. I guess I was drunk, too.

"...Ten."

His eyes almost pop out of their sockets. "_Really_?" He asks as his face hovers in front of me. I nod, blushing again. "Only me, then?"

"Only you." I say, and he smiles to himself cockily. That's what I was afraid of.

And here comes drunk, arrogant Edward. "I'm too good to replace, am I? All the other guy's you've met, and I'm assuming there's many, you've declined because they wouldn't match up to me?" He holds his head up high, and I roll my eyes and nudge him, drinking more wine.

"No. I believe that once you lose your greatest love, there really shouldn't be anyone else. But I'm starting to doubt that."

"Would you want to date again?" He asks.

"What do you mean, 'again'? You're my first, and by the way I'm going, you'd be my last too. And it isn't like I have time for someone else in my life."

"Honestly Bella, that's just you and your excuse. There's time, believe me." He says lowly, his previous confidence lost, replaced with a guilty expression. "I made time for two women and I was working full time and had two kids and a home to look after. Sorry for that, by the way."

"No need. You've apologised plenty of times before." It bodes well for me that he still has the need to apologise, bitchy as that may sound. Then again, he was the cheater.

"I'll keep doing so." He promises, no sarcasm used.

We spend a quiet moment alone in our drunken states and he suddenly grabs my arms, holding me close to him, his face right in mine, his eyes shining. "I have a brilliant idea."

I cock an eyebrow up at him, already planning to disagree with his wild thought. "What?"

"One more time. Just to get everything out of the way, once and for all. One final rush, one more time. Let's just do it all again, except, you know, in secret."

I ripped my arms from his immediately, wanting to hit him. _Was he serious_? Of course not, he was drunk. "We got everything out of the way twelve years ago; when we divorced." I said coldly, and Edward shook his head.

"Please, Bella. Don't tell me you've never thought of doing it all over just once, just to see. Tell me you've never thought about where your life could be if I didn't cheat, if we were still in love."

"It's a risk I'm not willing to take, Edward. Besides, you have Tanya."

"She isn't you, Bella. She doesn't make me as happy as you did. And you know I didn't want us to break up."

"So you thought that I would get over the fact you cheated on me? You thought that you could keep going on with married life if you never told me about her? Seriously?" I asked.

Guiltily, Edward nodded. I slapped him right across the cheek, and his face turned away. I regretted it, but it felt good to finally let that go. "I knew that was going to happen..." He trailed off, then falling off the bar stool and right onto the floor.

"For Pete's sake..." I mutter, getting off the chair and picking him off the floor. "We're going." I say, looking around the deserted room. It was just us and a very exhausted looking bartender, who had probably heard everything we had been talking about. "I'm so sorry. Here, take this." I say, passing him all the money I had on me, all but throwing it over the counter to him in my drunken circumstance.

I wrap Edward's arm around my shoulder, supporting as much as his weight on me as possible. We arrive at the elevator, and I sigh as we wait. "I didn't know that suggestion would hurt you so much. In truth, I thought you would say yes."

"And why would you think that?" I turn to him, waiting for his answer.

He locks eyes with me, parts his lips, begins to talk. "Because somewhere within you, you still love me, and no matter what, that feeling will never go away. I'm your only first love, and your only greatest love. I know how much I hurt you, I know how much I broke your heart, I know how I made you feel insecure, I know I'm the cause to some issues. And I thought by giving you the chance to let go of that once and for all, you would take it, because it finally meant you would be over me."

I shake my head as we walk into the elevator. "You're wrong. It would only make me feel re-attracted to you. You're offering sex, and you know that females tend to have a more emotional attachment to intercourse. You know how being with you would make me feel."

He shrugs as we step out and walk down the corridor to our room. As I open the door with the key card, Edward speaks for what would be the last time that night. "The famous saying goes, Bella; 'you'll never know unless you try.'"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Aww yeah! Things are officially heating up! Please read and review, tell your friends to do the same. Thank you all who are putting this story on alert and etc, you are all wonderful :)<strong>


	6. Coming To Terms

**Chapter Six – Coming To Terms**

**Edward's Point Of View**

_I walk into school with a sigh, the sky above me shaded in dark grey, rain threatening to fall at any mo- And there it is. It starts to pour, and I hurry to find cover, and when I do, I find myself colliding with someone, my shoulder jerking into said person. I look down, and see a girl on the floor, her books and bag scattered in all directions. _

"_Crap." She mutters, picking everything from the floor and gathering it into her hands. _

"_I'm so sorry." I say, helping her with her books. She looks up at me, and I am at a loss for words. Her big, brown eyes flinch at me, her full, pink lips curl upwards. I feel my body tingle at this sensation. "I didn't even see where I was going." I find my words, locate my voice and confidence. The girl goes red with embarrassment, and I instantly fall in love with the colour. I find myself wanting her to blush again, and for me to be the cause. _

"_No, it's my fault. I'm not exactly the most co-ordinated of people. Thanks." She beams and pushes her dark brown hair out of her face as I pick her bag off the floor and help her gather her books from the floor. _

_I move into her a little closer. "I'm –"_

"_Yes, you're Edward." She nods, not looking up. "I know who you are." _

"_Really?" I say, deep in fascination. How did she know this? _

"_Your friends with Jasper." She clarifies, and I chuckle. She read my mind. _

"_And how do you know Jasper?" I ask, intrigued at the connection. _

_She stands on her own two feet and I follow her movements. She looks down at the books I hold in my arms, and looks back up at me. "He tutors me from time to time." She shrugs casually, not embarrassed nor making a fuss about it. "Thanks for helping me, but I have to go to my locker. It was good to meet you." _

_She spins around and starts to turn away from me, but I can't let her go just yet. "Wait," I say, taking her arms and spinning her around to face me. She looks stunned, shocked. "I didn't get your name."I couldn't let her walk away so quickly like that, and my eyes go wide as the contact betwen us makes my skin tingle with a pleasant sensation.  
><em>

"_Bella. I'm Bella." She says, before turning away and leaving me. She seems nice, sweet, smart. So why hadn't I noticed her before? I make a departure then from undercover, and when I arrive at my locker, I see Jasper with his head in a book._

"_Who would've guessed you'd be reading?" I say to him, and he looks up and nods at me. "Seriously though, every day I find you here with your head in a book that seems to coax you into another dimension." _

"_I swear to God, you literally say that every day to me." He narrows his eyes at me as I open my locker, dumping my books in there. _

"_Hey man, what do you know about Bella?" I ask casually, hoping he won't ask questions and hoping he won't know that this is the first time I've ever came into contact with her. What the hell was I thinking? Of course he'll ask questions. He always asks..._

_Jasper looks at me with suspicion. "Bella, as in Bella Swan? I know she's way too good for you for starters." _

"_Oh, wow, so funny." I yawn. "But seriously. What's she like?" _

_Jasper shrugs. "She's smart, witty. Doesn't take any crap. Very no bullshit. Why do you want to know?" He asks. He reads my face and cracks another smile, and I wonder why she needed a tutor if she was regarded as smart. "You want her."_

"_Well, I ran into her, literally, like five minutes ago. We talked for a little bit, but from what I gathered, I think I might take a shot. Actually, I didn't really gather anything, other than the fact that you tutor her from time to time. Oh, and she claims she's not co-ordinated." _

"_Oh. She isn't, and I can also tell you she doesn't appreciate liars," Jasper chuckles darkly. "I don't know what's wrong with her, but she trips over air. No synchronisation whatsoever. But yeah, be my guest." He shrugs, and the bell rings. _

* * *

><p>"Edward. Edward. Edward." The voice, although a whisper, gets louder in my ears. I groan, my eyes opening into the darkness. Then I realise Bella is leaning right next to my face, and my entire body jumps.<p>

"Shit." I mutter, my head pounding. Brandy was never my greatest friend. "Bella, what the hell are you doing at" - I glance over to look at the clock – "two in the morning?"

"I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about the whole 'one more shot' thing and I want to."

"Huh?" I ask, sitting up like the still-kind-of-not-really awake/drunk idiot I am.

Bella groans and I think she rolls her eyes – It's too dark to tell. "I want to have one last fling, to get it all out of me." She says clearly, and my mind springs to action.

"Oh, yeah, ok then."

"Wow, hold the enthusiasm in, and don't get too over-excited." She says sarcastically. _There's the Bella I know_. She climbs over to the other side of the bed and slips between the sheets, and I try to not get too excited. We hadn't shared a bed in twelve years, it was a big deal. I flip over so I'm lying on my back, and she moves slowly and cautiously.

Then it sunk in.

_Holy Shit_, I'm going to have sex with my ex-wife.

"Bella, it's me. Do what you want to do." I say, coaxing her. My words lead her to actions – She lies on my chest, and I find myself in a familiar position, one that take me back all those years ago. "Are we going to lie here the whole night?" I ask.

"Only if you want to."

* * *

><p>Neither of us wanted to lie there the whole night.<p>

So, I woke up the next morning with Bella tucked under my arm, and for a split second, I had no recollection of what had happened six hours earlier. But then it all came flooding back into my mind, and I was absolutely certain had sex. Bella then wakes up too, and looks at me with a blank stare.

"We definitely had sex, then?" She asks. "And you want to start up this whole...fling?" She says, and I nod. What great words to wake up to.

"Yes. I do." This was my one last chance to set everything right, to get the 'what if' out of my mind once and for all. And after, I would've moved on, for good. I mean, I had before, but this was Bella – my first great love, and depending on what the future bought for myself and Tanya, she could be my only. "Breakfast?" I ask, and Bella nods, then realisation strikes her face.

"Oh my God; my son is graduating today." She says, then all but sprints out of the bed. I too start to move, wondering what today was going to entail. I order room service and put a pair of boxers on and walk out, to find Bella sitting on the couch, looking out the window, absorbing the sun. The light makes her look so peaceful, so angelic, almost. I shake that thought from my mind.

I move towards the bathroom. "I'm having a shower. If room service arrives, just sign it as my name."

Bella nods, her eyes locking on me longingly. I give an uneasy stare. "Do you need something?"

Her lips curl into a seductive smile. "We should save water." Maybe she was still drunk.

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Really? In...In the shower?" Twice in six hours, well, who wouldn't refuse?

She nods, exiting her way off the couch. "Just like old times, huh? Besides, last night, it was...too good." I chuckle and she smiles back and goes over and locks the door, her signature blush warming her face. "In case our daughter walks in. Oh shit, I feel bad now."

"We can be sneaky."

"But I don't like lying." She says, urgency in her eyes.

"Bella, if you don't want to do this then that's ok. I just thought we'd give it one last shot, you know." I shrug and make my way to the bathroom.

I wait for her response, and five minutes later, right as I'm about to get into the shower, I hear her moan in defeat and make her way to the bathroom. That's what I thought.

**Bella's Point Of View**

Easy for him to say – he can keep things like this on the down low; it wasn't his first time sneaking around his children's backs. Of course, it's twice as bad now, seeing that I'm sneaking too. I flip through my suitcase and pull the dress I've packed with me for Nathan's graduation, and lay it out on my bed that I did absolutely no sleeping in. I lie on my bed for a solid hour, contemplating the pro's and con's of this whole fling, and I had decided to go with my gut feeling, which I'm now thinking wasn't a good idea.

But the last chance to do this with him, ever...Well, why not? I know it had a closing date, I know I'm not going to let him become my life like I once had. Besides, he was good in bed. Actually, good didn't even cover it. This time around, I would learn from my mistakes, I'd be smart about how to do this. I grab a clean bra and search to find my thong, and next thing I know, the door opens. I freeze and wait for the voice.

"Bella," Edward says, and I breathe easy, "is Nathan going to want me there?"

I wrap a towel around me, and turn to face him. "Yes, of course he will."

"You do remember what happened, yes?"

"Yes, but you need to show that you're ready to accept him. Are you?"

"Yes." He sounds unconvinced, and I raise my eyebrows disbelievingly. "No." He says in defeat.

"Say it out loud."

"But I don't want to."

"Edward, just do it."

Edward sighs heavily, drawing in a breath. "You're making this a tad more dramatic than it needs to be. Why is this a big deal for you?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Because he is my only son, Bella. As parents, we dream of our children having their own children and carrying on the family name. Nathan had done me proud in everything, we were always so confident that he'd find love in a woman, like I had with you. And when he stopped seeing girls, stopped inviting them over, I knew something was up, something was changing in him."

"But why did you react like you did? You're not...You don't have a phobia, do you?" I ask apprehensively.

"No, no. I guess I wasn't really expecting him to be so...Confident when he told us. It hurts when your children catch you off guard."

I give him a knowing look. "Edward, he took it a lot harder than what you did. Now say it, out loud."

He takes a breath. "My son is homosexual."

I nod in satisfaction. "Good. Feel different?"

"No, not really. I just hate how he said it. It was right before he left for college, and then next thing you know, he's across the other side of the country, on a different coast and he's eighteen and he's alone in a new state, he had no one." And yet, Edward went back home that night to his whore and I drank as much gin as I could find and passed out on the kitchen floor, alone and in a pile of my own tears. My God, he is better off than me in every way.

"Edward, you over reacted when he told us he was gay, you _know_ you over reacted. And you ruined a perfectly good relationship over his sexual orientation. He was eighteen, and what he needed most, and will always need, is both his parents support and encouragement. But it's been four years, and this is the time for you and him to spend time together."

Edward nods seriously. "I understand what you mean, and I do have to spend time with him. I have to prove to him that his sexual orientation means nothing, that I can repair this."

I take my dress out and put it on. "Can you zip this up for me?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Of course." He says quietly. His fingers brush through my hair and he sweeps it over my shoulder, one hand placed on the small of my back while he slowly pulls the zipper upwards. I turn around to face him and he smiles, and I try not to let his light touches arouse me...again.

"How do I look?" I ask, taking out my makeup.

"Beautiful." He replies simply, and I feel like a teenager all over again. After putting make up on and finding my shoes, there is a knock at the door. I let room service in and some twenty something male starts setting up at the dining table. The only thing was, there was a whole lot of food there. I sign the bill in Edward's name, and he comes out of the room, fully dressed, and I raise my eyebrows.

"Ah, yes. I didn't know what you liked, so I ordered everything."

I shook my head, and looked through the food. "And what's going to happen when you receive the bill? You're really going to fork it out." Edward gets my pun and chuckles.

Another knock at the door. This time Edward opens it, and I help myself to some yoghurt and fresh fruit. "Did you guys order breakfast?" Amelia walks in, and her face brightens when she sees the stacks of food. She helps herself, and Edward closes the door.

"Bella, can you help me with the tie?" He asks, standing near me.

"After all these years you still can't do it yourself?" I exclaim, laughing.

He flushes. "I don't usually wear ties, and if I do, I buy zipper neckties." I roll my eyes and get up from the table, and slowly start to the tie up around his neck. "You have yoghurt on your nose." He points out, and uses his finger to scrape it off, chuckling. I join in his laugh, and I lose my concentration.

However, I did not miss the confused glance from our daughter, who has absolutely no idea what was going on.

* * *

><p><strong>And they are off! Astounded with your reviews and alerts so far, so I'm updating a little earlier because, as they say, 'you're worth it.' People are asking about HEA's - and yes, of course there is going to be one of those! At the end of a rainbow is a pot of gold, remember? The more reviews, the faster I update, and if I'm feeling generous, I'll throw in a preview. Tell me what you're thinking!<strong>


	7. Graduation

**Chapter Seven – Graduation**

**Bella's Point Of View**

"Act happy." Edward says, as we enter the grounds. I scowl at him, not feeling the same energetic vibe that he does. We walk around the campus and see many banners with the words 'farewell' and 'graduates' emphasised in red and blue paint. I can't help but grow teary – just another chapter of the book coming to a close. Then again, as the famous saying goes, when one door closes, another will always open. I look at Amelia, who seems caught up in the atmosphere and is taking in her surroundings cautiously, like a child's hand reaching out for the blue sky.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle interrupts my thoughts, and my head turns in the direction it came from. Two people, a man and a woman, both older than myself, march up to us with proud faces. Esme and Carlisle, my ex in laws, and possibly the two greatest people to walk to the Earth, embrace myself and Edward in greetings. "Bella my dear, it's simply been too long." Carlisle says, his smile exposing his wrinkles across his forehead and cheeks. He looked so happy, and I smiled in return.

"It has. You look well." I comment, and he nods with appreciation. Esme smiles widely at me as she lets go of Edward.

"My Bella, how good it is to see you. How are you? You look wonderful." She says, and I blush at her words.

"Feeling fine, Esme." I say politely, her arms wrapping around my shoulders. She really hasn't changed at all, and neither has Carlisle. They really are just genuinely kind hearted people. They had been devastated when we divorced. In all honesty, they were so disappointed with Edward and it made me feel glad, in a twisted way, that I had made such an impression on them.

"I just can't believe my grandson is graduating from _college_." Esme says, tears in her eyes. I want to cry too, but I hold the tears back. "I'm much too young for this to be happening."

I laugh and look around – By far, I'm the youngest mother here. I really don't know of many people who have children at eighteen and have their child graduate from an Ivy League school. From there, the four of us walk around the campus together until we decide to walk to the graduating area. Perfect white lawn chairs have been aligned in rows of ten with a neat aisle running in between, which leads up to a stage with a few more chairs and a microphone or two.

Nonetheless, it's exactly how I pictured it.

**Edward's Point Of View**

"Do you think this will be you one day in the foreseeable future?" I whisper to my daughter as everyone takes their place. Bella is swamped with an endless stream of conversation from my parents – It's always been clear that they value her more than their own lives. I kind of hated that she and my parents had developed a tight relationship. Then again, they always liked Bella, hence why they were able to give parental consent when we wanted to marry at seventeen.

Milly looks guilty and bites her lip, and I cannot stop myself thinking of her mother. "To be honest, I'm not sure I want to go to college, at all. I want to travel first, that's my main priority."

I nod, understanding completely. "Are you entirely sure?"

"Of course not. But don't tell you know who." Ah-ha, of course she doesn't want her mother knowing – She's the over-ruling one, that one that expects her to go to college right away and have the education over and done with.

I sigh heavily. "I promise, but why am I not allowed to rat you out?" I grin as she peers at me.

"Because she thinks I'm going to choose a college in the next week or so, and she's always had this expectation that I'd be like Nate – Receive all my education at a top-notch level before starting up my own business where I'd grow to be as successful as her. And I don't want to do that. I want to see the world and take courses in a million different topics and then, from there, I don't know." She shrugs.

"Your mother doesn't have that expectation – She has the expectation that you'll do something that's entirely your decision. If I know her well enough, she's got that expectation so you can throw her off and do something that will blow her mind in a positive way."

Milly nods without looking at me – Instead, she is looking straight ahead as two people make their way to the stage, and her face is a mask of calmness, as though she has been ignoring me for quite a while. Personally, I had always felt as though I was closer to Milly than Nate, and I know it's partially due to the whole father daughter bond, but I feel like it was something more. When she was younger, she leaned toward me more than Bella. She said "daddy" before she said "mommy" and would only let me attend to her on a regular basis. So when she found out about the divorce, the lost faith in me wholly and completely. She didn't confide in me for a long time.

It may be because she was younger that she took it harshly, almost as harsh as Bella. People often say to me it was because she was so young and had never experienced anything like it.

However, Milly was hurt so badly, and it wasn't because of her age. No – It was because she was closer to her father, rather than her mother.

* * *

><p>I wait patiently for my son's name to be read out, and as I wait, Bella dabs a tissue at her eyes. I sit with my back up, acting strong, wanting not to let my guard down in front of my parents, my daughter, and most of all, Bella, who swore that she would call me a wimp if I ever cried at something as sappy as this.<p>

As if she knew I was thinking about her, she reaches over and slaps my chest. "You can express your feelings, you know." She says, dabbing her eyes again.

"You'll call me a wimp."

"That was twenty four years ago." She exclaims flatly. "And you cried when both our children were born and every major event in their lives, including the Christmas play Milly did when she was eight and was casted as the star in the sky." She says with a smug expression.

"Oh my God, I remember that! You cried like a baby." Milly said, her face going red at the memory.

"You were brilliant." I say to Milly, and she rolls her eyes.

"I had one line."

"Hey, it still counts." I happened to remember that play perfectly, and the disaster beforehand; Bella had to buy a morph suit and paint it gold. Of course it didn't dry in time, so right after the play was finished, we all but had to peel the suit off her. Bella was always good like that – Helping out with the kid's stuff at school. She would bake cakes for cake stalls and help out with anything she could get her hands on. When she started working, we started donating money to the school and even when Nate started college, she sent in a generous check purely because she felt obligated.

My son's name was suddenly called, and Bella and Esme burst into tears as Carlisle got out of his seat and clapped his heart out. Milly looked away with embarrassment, pretending she wasn't with her family of creeps. We probably looked like idiots, the way we were standing and clapping as my son walked proudly onto the stage, accepted his parchment wrapped in blue and red ribbon, and smiled right at us. He took us in, and when he saw me, his smile faded, just a little. It may not have been noticeable to anyone else, but to me it certainly was.

However, I accepted this, because I knew that it would disappoint him greatly if my seat was empty, and I wasn't going to mess this up. After all, it has been four years, and that's long enough to block your own father out of your life. My smile doesn't disappear, and I soon realise that I'm crying. Hot, salty tears hit my cheeks and I quickly brush them away with the back of my hand. I look over at Bella, who is waving and smiling at Nate, holding a soaked tissue in her hand.

I cannot help but think back to a mere couple of hours ago, and how great the sex was. She herself said I was the last person to have sex with her, and Bella wouldn't lie to me. Well Jesus, I know I'm perverted, but she's probably been practising. "Edward, sit down." Bella hissed, knocking me out of my thoughts. I sat down quickly, realising I was the only one standing. Shit.

As the names carried on and the headmaster spoke about how each student exceeded and whatnot, I myself thought about how my life was when I was my son's age. I would've been a father of two who was working night and day to pay for bills and to fund toward college – My own little side project I had going on. Of course by the time Bella and I divorced, I was halfway through a doctoral degree. I myself wonder how I even managed to be a father, a husband and a student simultaneously. How the hell did I do it?

When the ceremony finished, Bella was up and out of her chair like a bull at a gate, charging towards her one and only son. Esme and Carlisle were slower with more gradual movements, as myself and Milly dragged behind. "I can't believe I'm missing out on a party for this." She says. "It's just another excuse to see mom get all emotional. I get that it's my brother's graduation and all, but I doubt he will be there for my graduation."

"What makes you say that? Your brother has always been supportive of you."

Milly gave me a dumbfounded expression and I knew I was in the wrong. Seeing that he was four years older, Nate was off to college when Milly started high school, so all her achievements were usually seen by me while Bella would be working overtime (I lie, it was pretty much more her than me) or flying off to see Nate and whatever the latest and greatest with him was. I felt guilty the way Milly started high school too – Myself and Bella had just seen our son, who had newly confessed his sexual orientation to us, fly halfway across the country to what would basically be foreign land.

"Sure, over the phone." She says sarcastically, as we reach Bella and crew. My son is standing tall and proud, talking with Bella. His eyes drift to me, and they scan me up and down. I nod firmly, extending my hand, standing my ground. It's like everything was muted in that swift moment, as though it was something out of a movie.

"Hello son." My voice sounds strong on the surface but broken inside. "It's good to see you again." He glances at me for a moment, as though I am a stranger. But then, recognition washes over his face, and he can tell I'm really trying to make an effort to rekindle the metaphorical pieces of our relationship.

His face breaks into a small smile, then into a bigger one. "Hi dad."

He takes my hand and shakes it, his skin warm and smooth. And then I find myself pulling him in for a hug, and it feels as though my insides crumbled to dust and disappear. Was this really happening? Was _any_ of this really happening? When we pull away from each other, we begin talking. "Congratulations. I'm very, very proud of you."

"Thanks." He says gingerly. He turns to face everyone else. "Do you guys mind if we talk in private?" He asks, and everyone of course agrees in that same tone – 'no, of course not honey,' 'take all the time you need,' 'we'll be waiting right over there.' Bella gives a comprehending nod and I simply nod back, and they move away from us.

"Dad, I need to know that you're ready to accept me for who I am. College for me has been truly wonderful. I've been accepted here; I haven't been bullied once about my sexuality, because everyone here is educated and knows that being gay isn't a big deal. I don't want you to be afraid of me or anything, I just want you to be able to react to this like everybody else has. You're my only dad, and I'm your only son, and the rest doesn't matter. As long as we have each other."

I take a deep breath, the words bubbling on my lips. "Nate, I have come to terms with you being gay. And it doesn't bother me, it really doesn't. Honest. I was just merely in shock at first. Every father has the dream of having a son that will be successful and marry and have children and carry on the family name."

"But that doesn't mean none of that will happen for me! I can get married, I can have kids. It's just not going to be conventional, that's all."

"I know that Nate, I know that now. And I have to say, I'm proud of you. Not just for coming to terms with your sexuality, but for being able to finish college and earn a degree. You're not repeating my mistakes."

He made a face at that. "Dad, I wouldn't call your first marriage a mistake."

_I beg to differ. _"I didn't mean it in that way, I meant that what you've done today was what should have happened to myself and to your mother. I love you, Nate."

He smiles and looks like he's about to cry. "I love you too, dad." We embrace again, and the rest of the family joins us and we continue talking about where my son is going to head next. Bella pulls me away for a second, and she looks at me with those big brown eyes and I immediately know what she wants.

"So we're really going along with this, aren't we?" I ask, and she blushes and looks at the floor, shy to admitting her feelings and thoughts.

"I guess so. And besides, we've got the whole day tomorrow before check out." She assures me.

"Sure. But what are we going to tell you know who? I mean, wouldn't it be weird if we locked the door on her? She would get suspicious."

"I've already booked her in for a massage back at the hotel in her room for a couple of hours, and Nathan will finish up here with all his stuff. It'll be fine."

I nod, wondering if this whole fling was even worth it. I mean sure, I know I was the one who suggested it, but in my defence I was drunk...And she looked really, really hot. We turn back to everyone and they all look at us in unison. "What did you guys have to talk about?" Esme cocks an eyebrow up – always the suspecting one, the one who so dearly wants us to get back together again, even though it had been twelve years.

"Nathan's graduation party." Bella answers. "I asked your son if he thought it was a good idea, and he said to ask him. Nate, honey, do you want one? We'd be more than happy to throw one for you."

As everyone turns to look at Nate, expecting an answer, I silently thank Bella, who winks back and smiles. "I really don't know. I mean sure, if you guys are offering..." He shrugs. Esme squeals with delight, and she soon pitches ideas to Bella, the two quick to think of ideas and themes and whatnot. Amelia looks at me and rolls her eyes – She's really not the type to fuss over things, more likely to just go with the flow. A man jogs over to us in a graduation gown identical to Nate's and smiles at everyone.

"Everyone, this is Brad." He introduces, as my son wraps an arm around the guy's waist. "He...He's my boyfriend."

* * *

><p><strong>WHHHHAAAAAA? Thanks to everyone who is readingalerting/reviewing, you all make my day! Keep reviewing, next update will arrive quickly if reviews increase! And you can anonomously review too, if that's your thing. People who sign in when reviewing get a preview of chapter eight! Thank you :)**


	8. Doing Both Deeds

**Thanks to all who are reviewing and shit, you all fucking make me weak at the knees! If any of you are even interested in the slightest, I'm about to enter a Twilight Contest, so I'll keep you posted about that, fingers crossed that you would be kind enough to review when I get around to finishing it. Check out my other stories if you're keen for more reading, or go to my favourites - plenty of amazing crap to read there. Now, march onwardsssss. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight – Doing Both Deeds<strong>

**Bella's Point Of View**

Edward all but rips his tie from his collar as we land back in our hotel room, his expression saying he's mad and his body saying he's horny as hell. The man is conflicted and caught off guard, but I was determined to put the situation at hand behind us, just for an hour or so. I didn't know if it was the fact that I hadn't slept with someone in forever or the fact that this fling thing was actually happening, or maybe my hormones were simply whacked, but whatever it was, it made me want to jump him like I used to when he would come home from work, dead and sluggish.

"A boyfriend! Of all things! Of course I know he's gay and I've recently came to terms with that, then he says all that to me and the next thing you know, he just kisses this guy right in front of my face and expects me to take it!"

"Stop talking." I say seriously, and he looks at me as though I've got tentacles on the sides of my head. "Edward, just drop it, ok? It's been a long, emotional day, and we can talk afterwards."

He looks at me with that evil little twinkle, and smiles lasciviously. Oh God, that exact face of an angel! No, the face of a sex God. In no time at all, we are enjoying glorious lustful driven sex, rough and dirty like when we were nineteen and honestly had no direction. It was the first-eight-years-of-our-lives-together-sex, where we would set the kids down as early as possible, have sex, and then wake up at four in the morning by a screaming baby or the smell of pee on a mattress.

I lay against his exposed chest, wondering why he didn't age. "What's going to happen when you go back with Tanya and I go back to my job?" I ask, distracting him from the 'my gay son has a boyfriend and I don't approve' conversation. Talk about going back to square one.

He sighs heavily, muttering, "Do we really have to talk about that?"

"Yeah, kind of."

He sits up a little with a tiresome sigh. "Bella, I want to keep having sex as long as I get it all out of my system, ok? This is just casual, the more you talk about it, the more you're going to start treating this as some kind of relationship. We both agreed that we wanted to do the double check."

"Technically, it's the triple check." I say quietly. "Don't you remember Nate's twelfth birthday?"

He chuckles and runs his fingers through my hair – like old times. "How could I forget? That was such a good, sad night."

It had been Nate's birthday, and we had both sides of the family there as well as our close friends and their kids. It was the second year Edward and I had officially been divorced, and as soon as I saw him turn up, I knew we were going to go at one last time, and that would be it. We just knew. That entire afternoon, we acted like the perfect couple, and although everyone thought it was strange that two people, ruined by their divorce and failed marriage, could act so harmoniously and civilised. On the contrary, we had dirty, wonderful, emotional sex. It was the best I'd ever had.

"I remember waking up and wondering if I dreamt it all. I literally didn't know if we had until you came around the next afternoon." I say honestly. "But putting that aside, what's going to happen when we get back to California? We've both got jobs that kick our asses."

"That's a first." He mutters sarcastically.

I glare at him before answering him. "For me it is. I graduated from college when I was thirty two and then built an empire from the ground up, and you're a doctor with a hectic schedule. So in short, when would we have time for sex on top of all that?"

He wears a thoughtful face. "Whenever either of us feel like it. I can easily disappear and reappear in the hospital, and you're the boss, so you can call the shots."

"So I'm your booty call?" I ask, disgraced.

"And I'm yours. It applies for both parties, Bella."

My mood turns sour and I wondered how Edward was so at ease with the idea of being a booty call. "I still don't like this idea."

"Oh come on! You can't tell me that it wasn't good to have sex again, hmm?" He looks at me expectantly, knowing he's got me.

I cross my arms, sitting up. "Fine."

He smiles and puts his hands behind his head and closes his eyes, and for a minute, he looks so peaceful that his youth is restored and he looks like that sixteen year old boy I met in high school.

* * *

><p>"<em>Have you ever been here before?" He asks, leading me inside. <em>

"_Truth be told, I really don't get out much at all." I shrug, and he is easily the first person to accept that fact. Most people, and by that I mean Rose and Alice, can't see how I function in everyday life. Even though they're my best friend's, I'm still very distant from them. They go out and party and load up or whatever, and I'm reading or studying or cleaning or looking after Charlie. It's not like that bothers me though – I've never been the type of kid who gets drunk and goes to parties anyway. Besides, Charlie was in law enforcement for crying out loud – it just wasn't an option in my life, nor an aspiration. _

"_And why is that?" _

"_I've never been the type." _

"_And how do you know that?" _

_I've stepped into his clever web. _

"_I don't." I smile, caught with red hands. _

_Edward smiles at the woman behind the podium. "Table for two, somewhere secluded?" He asks, slipping a fifty dollar bill her way. The way he just acted, it was so sleek, so charming, and so cheesy that it made me question why I had agreed to go out with him anyway. _

"_Of course." She smiles, and leads us to the back of the restaurant where a table lies with two chairs. We are seated and we resume conversation. _

"_So how do you know then? When was the last time you've ever been to a party? And don't count a thirteen year olds' McDonald's Party, because as good as the ice cream cake is, that isn't a proper party." He says, with a charming smile. It was hard to remember that he's the same age as me, when he talks like he's twenty seven. _

"_Never." I shrug, as menus are placed in front of us. "I mean I get invited and stuff, but I've never wanted to go." _

_His eyebrows don't shoot up, his jaw doesn't drop, he doesn't call me crazy and best of all, he doesn't stand up and leave. "Ok then. So how can you say you're not that type of girl if you've never even set foot at a party? Have you ever had alcohol?" _

"_Even if I did go to parties, I wouldn't drink." I say, and he nods. _

"_Responsible." _

"_My dad's a policeman; I kind of have no choice." _

_He chuckles at that, and I smile at the sound. "What are we eating?" _

_I open the menu and my eyes boggle at the prices. No way I could afford this. "Umm..." _

"_Yes?" He asks, his brilliant green eyes flashing up to me. _

"_You know, I've always been a burger's and fries kind of girl." I hint, and he looks at me for a long time before his lips turn upwards into a small smile. _

"_Did you really think I would let you pay for your meal? Bella, I'm the one who asked you out, yes?" _

"_Yes."_

"_And I'm the one who chose where to eat, yes?" _

"_Yes."_

"_So therefore, I will be the one paying." _

"_No."_

"_No?" _

"_I can't have you paying for me."_

"_Yes you can. Don't worry about it." He tells me. "I'm paying for you and that's all there is to it, seriously, you don't have to make a big deal." _

"_Well I have to pay you for something."_

_He chuckles. "Would you like to know something?" _

_Was he trying to get me off topic? "Um, sure?" _

"_You are the first girl I've ever met who has actually insisted that they pay for something."_

"_So how many women have you dated then?" I state, going red at his words and my rudeness. "Sorry – That was rude." _

_He holds his hands up in a simple, no-need-to-apologise manner. "Fewer than you would think. But still. I like that you want to pay. It's...refreshingly bona fide of you." _

_I laugh a little at that. "Well, to be honest, I think you're refreshingly bona fide too." We have that romance movie moment where we eat up each other's smile's for a glorious couple of seconds, and that's when I realise that I may just like this guy. _

_After dinner, where he stole my wallet for a brief moment so I couldn't pay the bill, we were riding in his car to drop me home, when he suddenly started heading in the opposite direction. "Where are you going?" _

"_Nowhere." He says lightly, his eyes on the road and his jaw tight. _

"_Edward." I say sternly. "Where are we going?" _

"_Relax Bella; we're just making a little detour." _

"_Yeah, on the other side of town. Bullshit. Where the hell are we going?" _

"_Just to a friend's place, no big deal. You know Tyler Crowley, yeah?" _

_My face turned cold. "Why are we going to his house?"_

"_He's just having a couple of friend's over, we can just party for a while, ok? If you don't like it, the minute you don't like it, we can leave." _

"_I want to go home, Edward. I don't want to go to a party." He was going to see if he could make me see what I was missing out on. Great. _

"_Bella, it'll be fine." _

_The minute we pull up, I feel sick and aghast. The front lawn is covered in living room furniture, with kids from my grade making out and drinking on them – half naked. Edward gets out of the car and I follow him, sticking closely to him, desperate to steal his keys and drive home. "Hey Edward!" Voices greet him, and he smiles and shoots warm greetings. _

"_Hey Katelyn, what's up?" He says to a pretty blonde in my year with freckles and nothing on but denim shorts and a bra. I notice that he doesn't make eye contact, and I can only wander about their history._

"_Not much, I really haven't seen you around in a while." She smiles at him then looks at me with a blank stare. "Whose your, um, friend?" _

"_This is Bella. She's in our year." _

_Katelyn looks at me with an embarrassed face. Not embarrassed that she doesn't know me, no – She's embarrassed to be breathing the same air as me. "Hi." I say lowly, sinking into Edward's side as he grabs my hand and makes his way inside, dragging me along. "Can we leave now?" _

"_Five minutes." He promises. People blatantly stare at me and word quickly gets around that I'm Edward's pity date and that's he's only with me in the attempts to have sex with me. It's good that my fellow peers think so highly of me. _

"_You want anything?" Edward asks, not leaving my side the entire time. I'm too concerned with the kids looking at me and whispering to their friends. Edward notices and shakes his head. "Bella, forget it, they're just-"_

"_What? Waiting to see when you'll take me upstairs and nail me? Waiting for me to get drunk so it would be easier for you and fun for them to witness?" _

"_No, Bella, don't be that way." It was slack to say that though, because I could tell he wouldn't do something like that to me. _

"_Fuck off, Edward." I say, ripping my hand from his and walking out the door. As I leave, one of those snotty brats, Lauren, I believe, stops me. _

"_Where you going Swanny? The party's only just beginning now that you're here." She stands in her underwear with a bottle of Tequila in her hand. "I mean, God, this place just fits you perfectly!" _

_I hold my chin up high. "With all due respect Lauren," even though I had no respect for her at all, "get out of my way." _

_She laughs, and the sound pierces my ears. "You couldn't fit in with the rest of us here if you tried. Just go back to what you know best – Studying and staying in." _

_With that, I ram her down easily and she goes flying to the floor. I know it wasn't right to tackle a drunk girl to the floor, but I was tired of people staring at me like I was a hermit. People gather around her in an instant, and I make my way out the door and down the street. I hear my name being called out, by Edward of course, and he runs up with me to meet me. "What are you doing?" _

"_This is why I don't go to parties! Because as soon as I show up, it's a huge deal that I'm out of my house. They are critical and judgemental about everything Edward, and I don't want to be around people like that – ever. So now, after tackling a drunk Lauren, I'm going home. I'll see you on Monday." _

"_Bella." He calls my name once and he pulls me around to face him, and his lips immediately land on mine, catching me completely off guard. His hands are on my face and my breath is lost for a moment, and I realise how soft his lips are and how good this actually feels. When he pulls away I feel disappointed, then I regain perspective. _

"_What the hell was that!" I demand. _

"_I…I wanted to kiss you." He stammers. _

_I don't say anything, in fact, I don't even know if I should talk. How the hell do I even respond to that? I find a slow smile creeping on my face, and I toss my head back. "Come on." I say, nudging him, walking back to where his car is. _

"_What?" He asks. _

_I raise my eyebrows at him and he looks puzzled. "Take me home?" I shrug, and I find myself leaning in to kiss him. _

_He follows me like a lost puppy, taking my hand as we begin to walk. "Of course." _

* * *

><p>I turned my phone on while sitting in the cab with Amelia, who was wrapped up in her own world like usual, communicating with a never ending list of people twenty four hours a day, seven days a week; the social world never rested. I had an email from Jacob Black and I called him. It wasn't long until he picked up.<p>

"Are we blubbering still?" He asked, and I just knew he asked that question with a wide smile.

"I've literally got no more energy to cry. I'm drained of emotion."

"As I've already said, I'm your back up. Name one thing that will be guaranteed to make you cry and I will sure as hell try my best and acquire it for you." Did he seriously want me to cry, just to know that I was capable of feeling? He could easily be my best friend.

"That won't be necessary – not today, anyway. Besides, I was actually ringing to chase you up. I've got a missed call from you."

"Yes, I have a couple of questions for you."

"Well, we can schedule a meeting if you like?"

"Yes, that would be good. Next time slot I have is exactly four weeks from tomorrow, what's on your agenda?" He asked.

"I can clear whatever's on that day, it'll be fine."

"You are the boss, after all." He says. "So Monday in four weeks then?"

"Sounds good. And where are we doing the deed?" I ask.

"I'm thinking somewhere classy. I don't know about you, but business meetings in an office that smells of peppermint and features a power point aren't my first preference."

"Where do you suggest?" I pressed again.

"Somewhere atmospheric. Chuck E Cheese?" He asked, in all serious.

I couldn't do anything but burst out with laughter. "Ok, I'm making a lunch reservation for one at the Standard Hotel as we speak, meet me there."

"Will do Ms Cullen."

"Bella, please. If I can call you Jacob, you can call me Bella."

"Oh thank God, it felt like I was fourteen and addressing my friend's mother." He laughs, and I cannot help but join in. "I'll see you then," He says.

"Bye Jacob." I say, disconnecting. I can't help but let a tiny giggle erupt from my lips, and I notice that Amelia is staring at me with an incredulous look. "What?" I ask, concerned.

"I...I don't think I've ever seen you like that, ever. I've never heard you laugh like that, at least, not in a long time."

I brushed it off. "It's Jacob, a client. He's funny."

"I've never heard you speak freely of your job, let alone make jokes with them."

I shrug. "Jacob is funny. He's young. I honestly don't think he's done a lot of proper business deals. It's kind of his way or the highway, but it doesn't make you uncomfortable. It's funnily invigorating," I conclude and Amelia gives me an all knowing, albeit smug look.

"You've got a crush on him." She jabbed.

"I do not!" I say strongly. "He's nice, but just because he's kind, doesn't mean I like him or anything." I say sternly, disapproving of her opinion. Besides, I had just had a sex-fuelled weekend with my ex-husband.

She holds her hands up and her eyebrows pull up simultaneously, reminding me of Edward. "All right, I'm just throwing it out there..."

"I do not." I huffed, acting childishly and crossing my arms over myself. I pulled my phone out no less than five minutes later and texted Angela, telling her to schedule Jake in for a lunch reservation in four weeks from Monday.

It wasn't long before we reached home and I paid, got out of the cab, and pulled the suitcases from the back of the car. Amelia was chatting on her phone as soon as we got out and had her bag with her. She waited for me with patience at the front door as I grabbed both bags and scowled at the back of her head. It was quite evident that she had inherited the best and worst parts of Edward, and there were only a few times where I had picked up one of my habits being mimicked by her.

"Thanks for helping." I say begrudgingly, and she turns around to stare at me and then bites her lip, something she inherited from me.

"Sorry." She says lowly, and I unlock the front door, revealing a house that hasn't been used for almost three days. I sigh as I begin head to my bedroom and unpack.

We had a lazy night, ordering takeaway Chinese and just relaxing on the couch, watching what seemed like an endless re-run of sitcoms that I had swore I had seen before – which was weird in itself, seeing that I barely had time to watch anything but the news. It was just after ten when I decided to head to bed, and I changed and climbed into a double bed that had been occupied by me and me alone for a number of years.

I sighed and thought about what Edward was doing at this very moment, and immediately wanted to slap myself. I shouldn't be thinking about what he was doing, because I was sure I knew exactly what he was doing, and the idea made me sick to my stomach.

I held back stupid salty tears by swallowing hard and trying desperately to get rid of the bitterness inside of me. I was going to be forever angry at myself if I didn't get over the whole Edward thing. I had to go back to what life was like prior Edward-and-Bella-having-an-affair, and just focus on the fact that I was seeing Nate again soon and that he was in a relationship. It was absolutely huge for him, and I mad at Edward for not being able to break the barrier like he should have.

I breathed sharply and then shut my eyes, willing for the wave of sleep to hit me.

* * *

><p><strong>Lame ending - I am aware. Hit that review button, send in quirks and queries and opinions and suggestions - I'm a desperate bitch, but I always have been. Apologies for spellinggrammar/punctuation/etc, it's 2:16 AM and I'm tired and can't be bothered to proof-read. Why do you guys put up with me? I'm really lame now - I'll pay you in "e-hugs" for reviews. My God, there goes the speck of dignity I once had...**


	9. Phone Talk

**Chapter Nine – Phone Talk**

**Edward's Point Of View**

My eyes glare at the numerous amount of paperwork on my desk and I cringe away from it. Nothing said 'back to reality' like an unending stack of paper lying on a hardwood desk that had been abandoned over two days. After all, like my father said, 'medicine is very much like crime; it doesn't take vacations.' I literally flopped into my chair and looked for a pen. After a solid thirty seconds of feeling around on the little space on my desk and getting irritable, I went through my drawers. I finally found one in the second last drawer and when I inspected it, I instantly knew why it had been placed in this drawer.

It had been a gift from Bella long ago for our fifth wedding anniversary. It was tacky, yes, but I can remember her apologising profusely because she had no idea what to get me. We had no money at the time, and I honestly wasn't expecting anything at all. I had chuckled, but nonetheless thanked her for it, and had used it whenever she was around to show how much I valued anything she gave me from that point onwards.

Seeing it was the only pen I had in my office, I clicked it and was off with signing and filling out paperwork. It wasn't long until my pager was buzzing, the phone ringing and the intercom calling. I looked at the pen with little significance and wondered why I still had it - for emergencies, I guess. I put it in the pocket of my shirt and then opened the door to my office and was surrounded by a bunch of people; nurses, other doctors, receptionists; the list goes on, all wanting me to carry out medical procedures. I wasn't bothered by it at all, no, it's just that paperwork had to be completed, and that meant spending more time at the office than usual.

I got some peace and quiet around five o'clock, and I took the opportunity to call Tanya and let her know. "Edward, are you lying to me?" She asked despairingly, not holding back.

"No, I'm not. I really have a lot to get through." I say honestly, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"But I've barely even seen you." She whines impatiently.

"Well, the sooner I get this paperwork done, the sooner you can see me." I compromise, hoping that ends this conversation.

"But you can at least come home and do it here, right?" She presses. It didn't even take the form of a question really; it was more like a hidden instruction to do exactly what she says.

I refrained a scoff. Tanya knew very well that I wasn't going to get any work done, not with a screaming child in the house...And then there was Matthew too; Tanya behaved like him in the worst of ways. "I'm sure you have plenty of things on your plate too that you need to complete. I'll try not to be home late though, I promise."

The other line was silent for a couple of seconds, and it was kind of nice to not have her chewing my ear off for a moment. "Well, I'll leave dinner in the fridge for you to defrost in case you're hungry when you get home. I love you." She says, her words detached and curt, with no emotion. I do not get the chance to say it back, as the line is dead. I put the phone back on the receiver and shuffle my paper around with a deep sigh.

I got into the habit of giving my signature or initials first thing, skim reading the words and not completely being able to fathom them. It was a bad thing to do, but I was albeit tired of signing the same thing over and over. I allowed myself to have little distractions, like calling interns and receptionists in every now and again for a bit of healthy social interaction; which was actually me calling them in to pass messages on or file various documents and papers away. I hadn't made a lot of friends in my workplace, because in all honesty, I didn't have time for them. I didn't even see Jasper and Emmett that much anymore due to working tremendously long hours. The hours I spent alone in my office and the hours I spent getting to and from work were basically the only hours I got to gather my thoughts.

Ironically, there weren't many of those that revolved around myself. Tanya was constantly calling on me to bring home the bacon, take care of Matthew and keep up to date on her tedious daily activities. She claimed it 'helped us connect more' and that it was 'signs that lead to a healthy relationship.' In my opinion, I was made to share every aspect of my day with her so she could keep her eyes on me and my every move. To the naked eye, she comes across as someone who wouldn't be neurotic or paranoid, but she's both. I honestly wonder if she trusts me.

Then again, I can't blame her. For one, I did cheat on Bella to be with her. And secondly, she has every right to be scatterbrained because I'm currently cheating on her now with Bella, going between two women. My mind had trailed off and I sighed heavily as I shuffled the little bits of leftover paperwork, clicking the five year anniversary pen and lying it next to my desk lamp. I got my phone out and rang Bella. She picked up, even though it was nearing midnight.

"Edward? What's wrong?" She asked hurriedly. I wondered if she was expecting me to call this late, then realised I had called her mobile, and had most likely sent caller ID. It made me a little grim but I brushed it off, feeling stupid. Why did she sound so panicked though?

"Nothing, Bella. Nothing is wrong. It's just...are you busy tomorrow?" It seems like the only reason she would expect me to call is because I was gravely ill or dying. It wasn't as if she had forgotten our little arrangement – I mean, God, I certainly hadn't.

"I don't know." Her frantic tone has dropped. I can tell she's unimpressed. "Why are you ringing me now? You've had the whole day to call and you haven't." She was fooling herself if she thought I was going to call in the middle of the day, and vice versa – She runs her own agency, so she's probably got just as many things to do as I have.

"Well no, not really. You know how busy my job is, more than anyone."

"Liar. What about Carlisle and Esme, and even you-know-who, sitting at _your_ home, waiting near the door for _you_ to come home, hmm? They know what it's like too, Edward." She was trying to guilt trip me, and I knew why – Bella wanted to end the affair.

"What's that meant to mean?" I ask, abrupt with her harsh tone, knowing what it meant but wanting to hear the words come out of her mouth.

"What I mean is that I think last weekend was enough, and it's done. I don't want to bite more than I can chew." I caught the metaphor and sighed into the phone.

"Come on Bella. My relationship with Tanya isn't perfect, you should know."

"How the hell should I know?" She was taken aback and I chewed my lip.

"Think back two months ago, when we went to Kate and Garrett's party. Do you not remember how distant we had been that day? You couldn't wipe the smirk off your face, and you really didn't do a good job of hiding it." Garrett and Kate had been close friends of ours, as their daughter was born around the same time as Milly. We had attended birthing classes together and after having kids, kept in contact and became very close to them. They were devastated when they learned of our divorce, and it was unfortunate to lose them. Well, in reality, they had remained in contact with Bella due to me being the cheater. That's how the entire divorce played out with our friends – basically all of them had supported Bella through it, and only a few of them had spoken to me and remained in contact.

"You weren't meant to be spying on me." She says quietly. It wasn't my problem that I was spying on her that day, anyways. She had this deep purple dress on, and she looked positively radiant. "Anyways, I can't do tomorrow. I have clients all day and then Nathan's moving his stuff in." She sounded hesitant when she said his name, knowing he wasn't going to be there for long, as he was most likely going to move out as soon as he got a career underway.

"Tomorrow night?" I ask. It would be riskier, but that would just be a lot more thrilling...

"No, I'm cooking a nice home cooked meal for myself and my kids." She says tensely, exaggerating the fact that it was going to be just the three of them and no further guests were to be attending. That perked me up, and made my stomach growl. Bella could whip up animal faeces and make it taste like chocolate ice cream. For a better way of putting it, she was a goddess in the kitchen. She had enjoyed cooking since she was young, and wanted to be a chef when I decided to be a doctor. Her dreams came to a halt though when she realised that she was not going to have enough money to send herself to college or a decent culinary school. Needless to say, it broke her heart.

"What are you making? Don't tell me you're going to do that Mexican Chicken; in one of those...What do you call them?" I racked my brain, searching for the word, and even thinking about her cooking made my mouth water more.

"Crockpot?" She asks teasingly.

"Yes! Bingo!" My mouth was literally drooling. "And your black forest cheesecake...Homemade garlic bread...You've got to cook for me again." I beg, feeling like I should be down on one knee and clasping my hands together with puppy dog eyes.

"Are you not getting fed properly over there?" She asks, a hint of smugness in her voice that was coaxed with concern. She was too good.

"And how is my not getting fed a good thing for you again? In that case, I'll be over at yours tomorrow night. But what about now? I could come over now if you want..." I end suggestively, needing to see her. But first, I had to make her cave.

"Edward, that's not a good idea. And you are not coming over here tomorrow night for dinner."

"That isn't fair, you told me what you were making. Now I have to come." I say.

"Edward, you said those words yourself. I'm not making my Mexican Crockpot Chicken or a black forest cheesecake, or homemade garlic bread for that matter." She tells me, and I know she's soaring with smugness. She knows exactly how to push me into insanity, and might I say, she did a thorough job every time.

"Well, what are you making then?" I ask, curious to see how much saliva it would take to pass my lips.

She hesitates a little before answering. "Mustard and rosemary crusted rack of lamb with vegetables and raspberry and white chocolate ice cream."

I almost exploded.

"I'm definitely coming over, and that's final."

"You can't just invite yourself over!" She retorts, her voice brazen.

I smirked and thought of an excuse. "I believe I just did. Besides, I need to speak to my son. And you're going to need help with cooking anyways. The more the merrier."

"Not if it involves you, it isn't." She mutters glumly, knowing that my culinary skills stopped at barbequing and spaghetti bolognese. All in all, my skills in the kitchen were unsatisfactory. I can imagine the look plastered on her face as she said the words – lips turned downwards, shoulders slumped...sitting in the darkness, cross legged on her bed that has only been occupied by her and her alone for the last twelve or so years. "When was the last time you cooked, anyways?" She asks with concern.

She got me. "I honestly can't remember. Home cooked meals aren't necessarily a forte here per se," It was as though she lived on another planet, a planet that felt so out of touch and so inviting that I could easily just go back to it without so much as a glance over the shoulder. "Tanya isn't the domestic type," I ended.

"Excuse me?" Bella is taken aback. Again...shit.

"Poor choice of words," I say smoothly, searching for a quick evaluation. "She never cooks."

"_Ever_?"

"Ever." I sigh sadly. We didn't have very much money when we started living by ourselves with our children, who were toddlers and babies back then, so Bella would make extravagant yet cheap meals that would hit close to home every time. She never failed to impress at local bake sales and whatnot. It was just something like cooking that made us so much closer together.

"So what do you eat?" She says with amazement, fascinated with my diet.

"I'm not usually around very much, but when we do, it's always takeout or microwave dinners."

She tsked at me and it reminded me of how she would scold me for doing stupid things when we lived together; putting my feet up on the coffee table, forgetting to put the toilet lid down, stuff like that."That's shocking. You must be starving twenty four seven."

"Well, now that you've mentioned your cooking, I could go for those little flourless chocolate cupcakes you used to make."

"Ah, yes. My specialty." She chuckles on the other line, obviously easing up from the 'domestic' incident, occurring only moments ago.

"I could come over now, you know. Help you make them, like old times." I use my most convincing tone, trying to reason with her. I can tell it sways her decision.

"We make too much noise, Edward."

"Just you, actually." She catches my innuendo and scoffs.

"You're terrible."

"No, I'm the exact same." I say matter-of-factly, and she laughs like her teenage self.

She hesitates on the other end. "Come over if you want, then." She says, then the line drops dead.

* * *

><p>I pull up outside her house on the large gravel driveway and get out as fast as I can about half an hour later. I was told strict instructions by Bella herself to enter through the back door that leads straight into the kitchen. I do as I am told, sneaking across the side to the theme music of Pink Panther. I was sly, sleek, inaccessible, unapproachable, just out of reach. I was devious, elusive, cunning if you please. That was, until, I couldn't see in the dark and knocked a pot plant over, the terracotta falling on the tiles, making a thunderous smash. I hissed at my clumsiness – Bella was wearing off on me after all these years.<p>

Crap.

I waited, still as could be, my ego deflating.

I thought I was cool.

My breathing hitched a little longer than necessary, as there was no sound that came from the house or anywhere around me. I continued on, stepping over the mess, the dirt spilled like blood from a wound. I turned the doorknob slowly and heard the satisfactory sound of it being unlocked and smiled wistfully. Flourless cupcakes and great sex, here I come.

I was stunned to see that she wasn't waiting in the kitchen for me like my sexual fantasy had thought. Her, lying on the kitchen bench, legs open whilst dipping her index finger in a bowl of melted milk chocolate...

Oh Jesus, get your head and your penis out of the gutter man.

Then again, it could happen, with much persuasion and charm and sweet talk.

"Bella!" I say into the darkness, a harsh whisper. Alas, no answer. I begin to turn out of the kitchen and up the stairs, tip toeing all the way. I see a dim light that glowers from a half open door on my left, and I assume that Bella would skip the cooking (unfortunately...but not really) and be waiting for me here instead. I perk up a little and push the door open slightly so I can fit through.

I am greeted with a terrible sight, one that no man wishes to ever see.

There was my ex-wife, curled up in the middle of her bed wearing an old shirt of mine that was much too big for her ever petite body. Her brown hair was sprawled all about, tangled on the crisp white bed sheets. The candle that was only a little bit melted flickered off the walls, and I was instantly saddened.

I was too late to enjoy flourless cupcakes and great sex.

* * *

><p><strong>Make sure to head over to "Twilight Writing Contest" and readreview my entry, "An Accolade For Winter." It would be awesome to win! Thanks to all who are reviewing, just letting you know that we are half finished with this story! Updates will now be on a weekly basis from Sunday. Please review, thanks! **


	10. Rags To Riches

**Chapter Ten – Rags To Riches**

**Bella's Point of View**

"Angela, can you run and grab me a coffee? You know what I like." I say tiresomely, needing a caffeine hit. I rubbed my eyes and stared back at my computer in front of me and the folder on my right, and transferring the information into the spreadsheet. I had a pile of papers left on my desk that had collectively gathered over the weekend. There were disclosure forms to fill out, figure sales to analyse and record, and various people – locally and nationally – to contact. That was only the beginning of it unfortunately. And to top it all off, I had meetings with potential clients and places on the market to investigate.

"Sure thing boss," Angela winks at me. "Oh, and you have a call on line one." She says with a wide open grin, and I narrow my eyes at her suspiciously as she closes the door to my office. I pick up the phone and press the call waiting button.

"Hello, Isabella Cullen speaking?" I ask into the phone.

"Very professional, Ms Cullen – oops, I mean Bella." Jacob's voice rings in my ears as he lets out a throaty laugh. I smile into the phone and conversation immediately flows. It's crazy – We've had three conversations and yet, I seem so at home with him, as though he's an old friend. Angela walks in with a coffee mug and I wave at her in thanks, a smile on my face. "So are we definitely booked for the Standard then?"

"Yes, at one o'clock for a party of two, under the name Cullen. Sound good?" I ask.

"Sure does. Am I bringing anything special for the occasion?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to bring your company's financial budget, just so I can take a rough estimate on mortgage, and -"

"Bella, that won't be necessary."

"Excuse me?"

He chuckles, embarrassed. "I won't be needing a mortgage. I'm finishing up with the old place which is just about to be handed over to the new owners, and I hate to sound like an asshole, but I need this deal to be quick and finished with, as I need to get the business going."

"Oh, ok." I was in shock – I literally didn't know what to say. Career and client wise, he had swept me off my feet. "Well, you've put me in a pretty good position Jacob. Just bring along your contracts from when you first bought the place."

"Yeah, any crap I find, I'll be sure to bring it with me." We talk a little bit more over the phone until I see Angela walking to my office. I bid goodbye to Jacob and hang the phone up just as she pulls on the door handle to let herself in.

"Why didn't you just tell me it was Jac – Mr Black?" I ask Angela, who gives a bashful smile.

"I just wanted to see your reaction. It was better than what I had expected." I wondered what she meant by that. "I'm here to remind you that you have to go home now by the way, like you told me to." As well as being the world's greatest assistant, she was also excellent at reminding me things and telling me what to do and what not to do. So, basically, her pay was always increasing.

"Thanks Angela. Remind me to pay you more." I honestly don't know what I would do without her – She was my first employee and she had been with me from the very first step I took in real estate. I was more likely to continue on with work, rather than go home and start preparing dinner and dessert for my family; and, apparently, Edward. I was praying he hadn't driven over last night like he said he would, because I had collapsed from exhaustion about five minutes after he called.

I grabbed my trench jacket and tied it around myself and finished my coffee. Angela had saved the things on my computer to a flash drive so I could continue working on whatever I had done at work – She had once explained how to use it in proper technological detail, but soon realised that all I needed to know was that when I saved a document, I needed to look for the obscure symbol, click on it and save it in there. I bid her goodbye for the day as I gathered everything up into my arms as well as my bag, and left my office. I waited for the elevator rather than opting for the stairs, only because I had so much work that I couldn't see the bottom of my feet. It was only my office in the building, with an underground staff car park on the level below. It was nice, not working in a huge building that was shared with other companies and businesses – just a simple two floor construction in the heart of the Los Angeles business district. The elevator doors opened and I walked a total of six steps to where my car was parked, under 'reserved for I. Cullen.'

The weather today was partly cloudy which was odd, seeing it was just breaking into May, and Los Angeles was sunny just about all year round. It wasn't a terrible drive home, seeing that it took around twenty five to thirty minutes away from the district itself. I parked the car in the gravel driveway outside the house and gathered my things, opting to go through the back door that led straight into the kitchen instead of having to hold onto my keys, which was impossible, seeing that I didn't have a third arm. As I walked down the side of the house and eventually into the backyard, I noticed that there one of my pot plants had been knocked over, thus breaking the terracotta. I scowled at it and used my elbow to somehow open the back door. I reminded myself to fix the back door, seeing that the lock was broken and had been for about eight months now.

I kicked my shoes off whilst in the kitchen, still clutching onto various files, my laptop and my bag. I sighed with relief, giving my feet a break before they failed on me. I carried my things upstairs and dumped everything on my bed, feeling like a teenager when I would have to all but slam my textbooks and novels down on my bed before my back gave out.

The coffee Angela had made me almost an hour ago was wearing off and I frowned at this. I changed quickly into a pair of skinny jeans that had been bought for a birthday present from Milly a year ago, seeing that she insisted that I 'had great legs for someone my age,' which I wasn't happy about but agreed to wearing them anyway, and a grey sweatshirt. I noticed Edward's old shirt lying underneath the pile of crap I had previously dumped on my bed and wondered if he did come here last night – that would explain the knocked over terracotta. I went back downstairs and into the kitchen, pulling out a pen and a sticky note, jotting myself a reminder that I needed to clean that up and to get a lock for the back door.

I began to prepare the ice cream, seeing that it would take hours to set. As I combined the milk and cream in a saucepan, I reflected on the past with Edward. He would come home from work or college to me in our tiny kitchen, where I would be cooking up a feast using the cheapest ingredients I could muster. The kids, a toddler and a baby at the time, would most likely be sitting in second hand highchairs right behind me so I could see where they were at all times. Edward had been working a desk job, which was our main source of income. The money he earned was mediocre, but unfortunately, we had to pay rent, groceries, bills of all sorts, plus we had to prepare separate meals for the children as well as the obvious items that babies, toddlers and small children needed. The first place we lived in was a two bedroom, one bathroom rented apartment. The third room was meant to be used as a study, but we had used it as a third bedroom for the kids.

It was cramped nonetheless, and always noisy, because either or both of the kids would cry at sporadic hours during the day. Just because it was small, did not mean it was easy to maintain. I was constantly picking up after anyone and everyone, and there were times when either Edward or I would snap at each other and lose it, just because we were tired or stressed or troubled. When Edward finished college, it was a huge relief. When we were both twenty four, we had saved enough money and were able to buy our first house. It wasn't extravagant or luscious due to it being one story and on a small block of land, but they were probably the happiest four years of my life. The reason we were able to jump from having a tiny apartment to owning a house was because my mother had won a game of blackjack. She sent majority of her winnings to us, seeing that she had married a major league baseball coach and she knew we were in desperate need.

We had basically fought with Edward's parents, Carlisle and Esme, to not help us in any financial situation. Edward was very well off, but we had both requested that we didn't want money that had been given to us – we would much rather work from the ground up, no matter how long or hard it took. Charlie and Renee offered too, but times with Charlie were tight anyway and I barely spoke to my mother anyways. She all but ripped me into shreds when I first declined her blackjack winnings. "I know you and Edward want to do this by yourselves, but you're getting nowhere sweetheart. I don't want you to be pushing so hard, only to stay in the same place for forever," she had told me, and after a word with Edward, we turned ourselves in and took the money.

I didn't even want to think about where we would have been if Renee hadn't pushed me like that, for the first time in her life. She was usually easygoing, but she had known exactly how married and family life was treating both Edward and I.

I was knocked out of my memories as the front door opened and in came Amelia. She yelled me a 'hello' before bouncing up the staircase. It was no more than five minutes later when I heard another knock at the front door. I set the mustard and rosemary mixture down and half ran to the door, flinging it open. There stood my son with a large grin on his face, suitcases behind him. "My baby," I spoke proudly, as I engulfed myself in his arms as he chuckled.

"Hey mom," he said, his arms wrapping around me. He was here now, safe and sound. That was all I could ever ask for. Amelia came running down the stairs and I let go of Nathan, just as she smiled and hugged him too. His absence had only made their fraternal bond grow stronger, as they had never really been close as teenagers. I guess it was what most teenagers went through, as far as I was told. I took Nathan up to his old room and gave him time to settle in. Amelia returned to her room and I was left to cook in peace and silence. It was stupid to say I missed my kids, even though they were only a matter of steps away, but I couldn't help thinking that time with them was running out.

Just as I was putting the ice cream in the freezer, arms wrapped around my waist and I made a sound that was halfway between a hiss and a squeal. "Edward." I said, and he chuckled darkly as he let go.

"It smells amazing here."

"I didn't even here you come in." I said, and took in his appearance. I presumed he had come straight from the hospital, seeing as he was wearing a plain business shirt and black trousers. He grinned as he ran a hand through his hair, and looked around the kitchen, seeing if there was anything to eat.

"You left the front door wide open. I take it Nathan is already home?"

I nodded and he wrapped his arms around my waist again, except this time we were face to face. "What the hell are you doing?" I hissed. "The kids could come downstairs any minute."

"I loved how you just said that, it makes everything so thrilling and daring. Is the food ready yet?"

I narrowed my eyes at his overly happy behaviour, wondering if he had hit the bar before he came here. "Ten minutes." I say, coating the lamb racks with rosemary, garlic and mustard and putting them in the oven, turning the grill on. I open the fridge and retrieve a bottle of white wine and three wine glasses, and one drinking glass. I move swiftly around Edward, who seems to be searching the cupboards in the kitchen for something in particular. I set the table quickly and when I'm done, Edward is staring into the backyard through the kitchen window.

"I was here last night." He admits.

I cross my arms over my chest and sigh heavily. "Is that why my plant is smashed out there?" He swallows, and I note his Adam's apple bobs in his throat as he looks down with shame, having not enough courage to answer with words. "You can buy me a new one then. Deroma number four standard clay pot, home depot." I tell him with a pointed finger, then write it down on a post it note and hand it to him.

As I leaned into him, I smelt him and realised why he was extraordinarily happy. "Have you smoked pot?" I asked him, and he laughed.

He fucking laughed.

"Maybe," He said, cracking a smile. He pulls out a joint from his pocket. "Smoke the next one with me, ok?" He looks at me expectantly.

"I haven't had pot in forever." I say, caught up in a trance. "No." I say firmly, standing my ground. I hear two sets of footsteps on the staircase and I usher Edward to the downstairs bathroom to clean himself up and to make the stench of marijuana go away.

"Ready to eat?" I ask my kids, as they place themselves at the rounded white pinewood table. They both nod and Nathan is the first to speak up.

"Why are there four spots at the table?" He questions, and I have never wanted to faint so badly in my life. Before I can say anything, Edward rounds the corner, all smiles and rainbows.

"Hey!" He greets, as both my kids stand up with wide grins, as I remove the lamb racks from the grill and dish them on four plates.

"Surprise." I murmur to myself, sighing as I go and grab the roasted sweet potato and the spinach and rocket salad and placing them in the centre of the table.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Amelia says with surprise colouring her voice.

"You're mother invited me." He says cheerily, winking in my direction. I hold my head up high and scowl.

"You invited yourself."

"Potato, potatoe. Speaking of which." He says, admiring the feast I have laid out for the four of us. For so long, it had been quiet, small meals with just myself and Amelia, and now we had two men at the table, and it all felt strange. Strange, but so right. With that, they join me at the table we eat together. I didn't miss Edward move closer to Nathan and whisper something in his ear, to which Nathan nods gravely to.

"So, Nathan, what's the next step?" I ask, gathering more salad on my plate. Edward can't stop moaning through the whole thing, exclaiming that everything tasted delicious and he was going to have to doggy bag the leftovers.

Nathan drank a bit more wine and set his glass down. "I want to start working right away, soon as possible. I want to buy my own place, not too far from you or dad, so I can visit all the time." He says. "That way, I'll earn more money and if I want, try and fast track through graduate school, or go travelling."

He had it all planned out, whereas Amelia couldn't decide what do to next, and she had four days to decide. I poured myself more wine as everyone shot questions at each other. It was less than ten minutes later that we were eating the previously prepared ice cream around and the table and reflecting on happier, funnier times. "Do you remember when Milly tried climbing up the Christmas tree?" Edward asked me with a pointed, amused expression.

I smacked my lips together and laughed. "She would have been two or three, I had completely forgotten about that!" Milly went bright red, a trait she inherited from me. "I can't even remember how it happened, let alone how you were able to gather yourself up on your legs and climb up it, it was so tiny."

"Our first real Christmas tree was about three feet tall and had about four decorations on it, because that's all we could afford. We made a star to put up the top out of paper." We all laughed around the table, forgetting that we were no longer together, forgetting that we had struggled and come so far in our lives, individually and collectively, that we had strived to make the best out of every bad decision or situation. It was just the way we had been taught.

"I have never seen a two year old more scared than when I reached up and grabbed her. The whole thing came toppling over. Thankfully the baubles were saved." I said with a chuckle. The other reason as to why there were four decorations was because there were four of us, and although we had spread the decorations out from each other on the tree, it still connected us and held us together, because that's what our family did.

* * *

><p>Edward stayed and helped me clean up in the kitchen after he had disappeared and talked to Nate – I let the kids do what they wanted for tonight, so they escaped chores. I was going to have to get used to having my son around again, in the most positive of ways. I reminded myself to have his boyfriend over one night to officially meet him, seeing that Edward had stormed away in a fit of rage. "What are you doing tomorrow?" He asked me.<p>

"I have to find a dress for this thing I'm going to on Friday night, and I have a heap of paperwork to do and clients to see." The gala had slipped my mind, and I found myself writing yet another sticky note to remind myself of that.

Edward's eyebrows raised as I packed the dishwasher. "What gala?"

"It's a charity event for The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Elezear extended an invitation to me, seeing that he gets me an invite for all those types of things." Elezear had originally sold me the office I own now, except he didn't just have a realtor licence. No, he had also built a hospital, coincidentally, the one Edward works at.

Edward chuckled. "Tell the bastard I say hi, and that we need a new coffee machine in the doctors lounge. Or maybe you can just pick one up while you're there?" He grinned at what he thought was a clever joke and I shook my head with shame.

"That's shocking. And with that terrible joke being said, you can go home now." I say, wiping my hands on the tea towel.

"Bella," He breathed, leaning in toward me.

I craned my neck further away from him. "No, Edward."

He frowned for only a split second, then calmed his face. "Dinner was fan-fucking-tastic."

"Glad you enjoyed it. Just don't turn up high, ok?"

His lit up brightly. "Think about the joint, yeah? And if you need a date to Friday night, I'll gladly get my tux out." He winked, and I knew he wanted more than to get his tux out. We walked to the door together and I opened it for him, leaning on the doorframe. "Oh, Bella?" He said.

"Yes?"

"Those jeans looked good on you tonight. But not as good as your bare ass in my old sweatshirt."

And all I could was gape like a fish as I watched him walk away to his car.

* * *

><p><strong>Ooft! Ten chapters, the big 1-0, I'm not even sure if I should bother calling it a milestone, but eh. Check out my story "An Accolade For Winter" - simply type it into the search bar and leave a review, I'm trying to win a contest! This story has hitsalerts with three digits, so why don't the reviews! What is going on people, TELL ME! Next update in seven days, eyes peeled :)**


	11. Testing Time

**Chapter Eleven – Testing Time**

**Edward's Point of View**

_The great house of Swan loomed over me as I pulled up to her house on the following Monday, after the party episode. People had chatted to me endlessly about Bella and my true intentions with her. Everybody thought that Edward Cullen was going to nail Forks' Sweetheart Bella Swan, who spends most her days in the library or being dragged around with Alice. They were basically their own group – they didn't really have anyone else. I hadn't planned on having sex with Bella, but I could definitely say that I wanted to see more of her, figuratively. _

"_Edward?" My name being called awakens me from my thoughts, and I look around to see where Bella's voice came from. "Up here, dumbass!" She says, her body halfway out of one of the two windows on the top floor._

"_Morning." I say in a cheery voice. _

"_Not that I'm opposing it, but why are you here?" _

"_I've come to take you to school." I shrug simply. Bella begins to open her mouth, but I won't hear any of it. "No exceptions, Swan. I'll give you five minutes." I say with a grin, and she grins back, closing her window. I wait patiently and almost give myself a heart attack when I see Charlie Swan open the front door and make his way over to me. _

"_Good morning, Chief Swan."_

"_Hello, Edward. How are you this morning?" He asks curtly. _

"_Just fine thanks. How are you?" _

"_Peachy." He says, his expression definitely not showing it. "What are your intentions with my daughter?" He asks, eyebrows raised. Well, I see where Bella got her cut-the-crap attitude from. _

_I inhaled sharply. "I am never, ever going to break up with that girl, Chief Swan. I honestly think that I can make your daughter a very happy woman." _

_He gives me the stink eye. That's what I get for trying, I guess. "I will not be happy if she sheds so much one tear over you, you got that boy?" He asks, and I'm unaffected by his weak words. _

"_Yes sir." I say, spotting Bella walking out of her house, four heavy books under her arm – as always. _

"_Have a good day, Edward." I nod in response as Bella comes over and I open the door for her. She smirks a little and gets in, and I get in the driver side. _

"_So," Bella says with a sigh. She smells delectable. _

"_Your father is a fun person to make early morning conversation with." I say with a smile, and she rolls her eyes. _

"_He's over protective. He sat me down for a very awkward talk last night. I had to remind him that it was just one date. He's nervous about your intentions with me." _

_I chuckle at that. "He thinks I'm going to corrupt you, yes?" _

"_Exactly." She grins back. Our banter filled the entire car ride, and when we pulled up at school, Bella sucked in a breath. "So, how are we going about this, strategically?" _

"_Bella, it was one date, don't over think." I roll my eyes and she looked like she wanted to hit me. "Hey, hey. I'm kidding." I say, and she elbows me in the ribs. "Ow!" I say, and she laughs at me. _

"_I thought you were a man, Cullen." _

_I reach over and start tickling her, and she shrieks, begging me to stop. Her books and bags have fallen off her lap and onto the floor. I've loomed over her as she crouches against the door, biting her lip. "You look beautiful." I say, removing a piece of hair that's fallen in front of her eyes, pulling it behind her ear. I lean in to kiss her and she smiles against my lips. _

"_Ok. Ready?" She asks, pulling away. Her lips are a little swollen. My bad. I gather her heavy ass books for her and get my own bag. I hop out of my car, ignoring fellow classmates in the parking lot. Bella gets out the other side, and she realises that people most likely saw us making out. She stays close to me as she looks a little frightened. I link my free hand with hers and she smiles at me. She acted frightened, yet I knew if anybody spoke up, she would verbally and probably physically rip their heads off. _

_I helped her load her books in her locker and we travelled to my locker next, where Jasper was sitting, reading the same huge book that he had spent the last two and a bit weeks reading. "Seriously Jasper, get your head out of that book." I say, opening my locker with a bang of my fist. Bella looks a bit impressed, and Jasper sees our presence. _

_I liked thinking that we were an 'our.' "Good for you two." He says in approval, flashing us a gentlemanly smile. _

"_BELLA SWAN, YOU BITCH!" A voice bellows from the other end of the hallway. _

"_Oh, crap." Bella mumbles, going red and ducking her head into my shoulder. _

"_Is that Alice?" Jasper asks with amusement. All three of us watch in horror as the students walking suddenly move to the sides of the corridor, making way for a furious Alice. _

"_Yes Jasper, it is Alice." She says, then turns to Bella and I. "You held out on me all weekend, claiming nothing interesting happened. LOOK AT YOU, YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND FOR CRYING AT LOUD. I HAD TO FIND THAT OUT FROM JESS STANLEY!" She booms, and then hugs her friend around the middle._

_Bella hugs her back. "Sorry, Alice. I couldn't find my phone." _

_Alice rolls her eyes. "Say it with me Bella; facebook. That's where its at." Alice tells her slowly, as Bella snorts. _

"_Ladylike." Jasper comments. _

"_Thanks." Bella beams, as the bell rings. _

_The day is spent with people gossiping about Bella and myself, and I deny all rumours that we were having sex in my car this morning, and dismiss the rumour that Bella broke Lauren's leg. Apparently she was walking on crutches. _

_At lunch, I headed to the library and found Bella with Eric Yorkie. They were sitting at a table with calculus books surrounding them. I couldn't help it, but I felt possessive of her; I didn't want her to be with other guys, even if they were showing her mathematic equations. _

"_Bella." I said, standing there awkwardly. Eric looked at me, his eyes wide. _

"_Sorry, man." He said earnestly. _

_I flipped a hand up. "No need to apologise." _

"_I'll be two minutes, promise." Bella says at me with a bright smile. I smile back and don't mind standing like an idiot while Bella completes her last exercise on second derivatives. She hands Eric Yorkie five bucks and gathers her books up as they bid each other farewell._ _As we headed over to the cafeteria, I noticed Bella's hands were shaking. "I don't think I can do this." _"_What's there to be afraid about?" I asked, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. _

_She chewed her bottom lip, and I was starting to take notice of her body language and how to decipher how she felt. "It's just...Everyone there, at the same time, you know? No, what am I saying? Of course you wouldn't know." She sniffs to herself. _

"_What do you mean, 'I wouldn't know'?" _

"_Well, it's been Alice and I for a long time now. And you're in a group with Jasper and Rosalie and Emmett, and...We don't want to impose." _

"_On my friendship? Bella, they want to meet you." I assured her. Jasper already knew Bella anyway, and I had the feeling he wanted Alice to stick around as well. Emmett was friendly twenty four seven, and took a liking to anyone. Rose was the one I was concerned about, but I had class with her just before and Rose, with much deliberation, promised that she would try to befriend her. _

"_I don't know if I'm ready." _

"_Bella, this is high school. It's just a bunch of boys and girls, who cares what they think?" _

"_It's not your close friend's that I'm worried about; Emmett and Rose seem nice enough. I just don't like Jess and Lauren, all that crowd, you know?" _

_I stroked her cheekbone as we stood outside the doors. "Bella, I'm going to make you walk in there because this is not rational. You shouldn't be nervous. I saw how you were handling it on Friday at Tyler's house, and I know it was a shitty thing to do, but you need to come out of your shell." _

_She knew I was right, but she wouldn't admit it, planning to hold onto her pride and dignity for a little longer. _

_I took her hand and we took the first couple of steps together, and I hoped to God people were good to her. _

* * *

><p>As I pulled up in the undercover parking lot and took the stairs instead of the elevator, I snickered. Then chuckled. Then laughed out loud, recovered and smiled. I couldn't help it – I had totally caught her off guard with the bare ass comment. I was going to pay for that. I unlocked the door to the apartment and realised that no one was home – Tanya was out at another dinner and she had set Matthew up with a sleepover.<p>

I turned the lights on and wished I had taken some of that ice cream home. I flicked the television on, looking for something to entertain me. Of course, nothing. I looked over at the mounted bookshelves on the wall and walked over to them, seeing if any of them grabbed my attention.

And there it was, wedged between 'Collective Fashion Wisdom' and 'Taming the Spirited Child.'

My Forks high yearbook.

I grabbed it and flicked through the pages, absentmindedly smiling at old classmates. It had been much too long since high school. I found the individual school pictures and found myself chuckling as I passed my friends photos and their favourite quote. I stopped flicking when I saw Bella's photo and stroked her eighteen year old face. She was so beautiful; still is. It was hard to believe that we had already been married then, a bit less than a year into it. I noticed how Bella's face was a little chubbier, too – she was carrying our first child. I looked down and read her selected quote.

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." Thomas A. Edison

I read over the quote again, realising how I had expressed that to Bella herself. To succeed at getting over one another, we had to try once more. It seemed simple in theory, but the realisation was that maybe I was already over her. Why now? Why was I so eager to start this thing with her? Why couldn't it have been four years ago? Six? Eight?

It didn't make much sense to me as to why we were going down this road, that was so easy to get lost in. So how long was it going to be before we realised that going nowhere was a scary yet practical alternative?

* * *

><p><strong>Bella's Point of View<strong>

I waited outside doctor Clearwater's office in the waiting area, perched in an ivory leather armchair, complete with the standard plywood coffee table with a neat display of magazines about mental health, as well as a kiddie toy box in the corner – untouched abacus, story books, the whole lot. I drummed my fingers on the homemade hedgehog slice that rested on my lap – they were her favourite, after all, and I had baked them because she had agreed to see me on such short notice. I just couldn't wait until next month's session.

The door swung open and out walked a young looking man, twenty at the most. Doctor Clearwater came out into the reception area and looked at me and leaned on her door. "Hedgehog slice, Bella? Are you trying to kill me?" Maybe, but I planned on killing me first.

"Of course not." I say with a wistful smile, standing up and putting my bag on my shoulder.

Leah Clearwater was my psychiatrist. I know what it looks like from first glance – Californian divorced mother of two attends once a month help because she's on the verge of a breakdown, and has been since she was twenty eight. Unfortunately, I didn't quite fit the image; I was unable to tan no matter how hard I tried, I had never had any facial nor breast reconstruction and I didn't run charity events. Leah made me feel as though I could talk to her about anything, and I guess that's why I paid her and made her favourite desserts.

I sat in another comfy chair and handed the Tupperware container over to her. "I'm going to eat one of these now. Want one?" She asked, and I politely declined. "Ok. Talk to me."

"I've started having a fling with Edward."

"Do you think that's healthy?"

"God no," Please, I already knew that, "but he insisted we do this so we can get all our feelings out once and for all." Leah scrawls something down while her teeth hold the hedgehog slice in place. I went on. "And it's stupid and wrong, but it feels so good. In the meanwhile, my daughter hasn't made up her mind what she wants to do with her life, and that makes me anxious. I don't want her doing nothing next year and I certainly don't want her to travel, only to be lost in the middle of God knows where and end up marrying an Arabian prince."

That was my dream last night.

"On top of that, Nathan is home and he's gone out every night, and I'm wondering about this boyfriend of his that he introduced me to. That's another thing – Edward and Nathan talked and figured things out, forgave and hunky dory, but then the boyfriend comes strolling over and Edward completely loses it. And on top of all that, I have a fourteen year old crush on a client who incidentally is fourteen years my junior."

Leah takes a bite of the slice, a sip of coffee, and writes down one more note as I wait patiently. "Bella, you're finally insane. Congratulations."

I sigh intently as a response. "I know."

"Bella, you still love Edward. Every session we have together, you worry about your kids and your career. Then you somehow manage to bring him into it and I sit back and wonder how the hell you made that connection. This divorce couple with benefits thing is not going to work, contrary to what the media and kids on facebook tell you. You can do better than that. Meanwhile, I understand that Amelia has her own life, and I'm going to drill this into you yet again in the words of Malcolm Forbes – let your children go if you want to keep them. Let Edward and Nathan figure things out themselves too. And this crush, well, it could be good for you, but mixing business and pleasure? At least wait until you've signed him off completely."

She takes another bite and I wish I had said yes now. On cue, she rolls her eyes behind her thick rimmed glasses and snaps a piece in half, handing it to me. "Thanks."

"Not a problem. This is good, by the way. So how did the fling present itself?" The teenager inside me snickered. "If you say an innuendo, I'll kick your ass."

I know she would, quite literally. "Well, we were drunk."

"The best ideas are always conceived through a state of intoxication." She winks, then rubs her seven month baby bump – well, to be honest, bump was more of a generalised statement; it resembled a mountain, if anything.

I smile wistfully. "He reminded me of all the good times we had, and insisted that there was so much left to our incomplete story, sexually. But I've never done anything this stupid."

"Bella, you got married at seventeen and had two kids by the time you were twenty two. You lost your virginity at a house party for crying out loud." She says, and I scowl.

"Ok, fine. But I'm forty years old, it's ok to be stupid, now that my kids are grown up and my life will revolve around my job twenty four seven." I hear my phone buzz. Angela, no doubt.

"No, no. Your life has revolved around Edward Cullen for too long now. It's time that you took control. I don't approve of this fling, but you want some bedroom action with the ex husband then go ahead, I unwillingly give you my permission. But at least do it with dignity. Don't let him have the upper hand. Your session is up."

"So let my children go if I want to keep them, don't mix pleasure with business until the deal is done, and have the upper hand. Seems achievable." I say, shaking hands with her. "Take care of the little one in there." I say, pointing to her swelling stomach.

Leah goes pink. "Three."

I almost cried for her. "Triplets? Seriously?"

"Yeah, turns out we lay too many eggs in the one basket." Leah was forty one and had been trying with her husband since they got married, and for them to be having triplets made me nervous and excited for her all in the same moment. She opens the door for me, telling me I'll see her next month. I didn't even want to think about what would happen after she gave birth and took maternity leave, but I was hoping I got my life sorted by then.

I pressed the button for the elevator and when the doors opened, I jumped back. Edward was standing upright with wide eyes as though he had just seen a ghost. "What the hell are you doing here?" I got the chance to ask first, as I pressed the button for the ground floor.

"Fertility clinic." He sighed. "Leah?" He asked, and I nodded.

"She's having triplets."

"Good for her and Embry then." He replies, looking down. I turn to him with an all knowing smile.

"So, fertility clinic. What's going on with the boys downstairs then?"

He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over. "Tanya wants another kid. I'm not ready to be a father for the fourth time."

"- Even though the third one isn't yours." I say lightly, trying not to sound smug but failing nonetheless. Edward catches my tone.

"Matthew is a good kid."

"Matthew needs a leash." The kid was being tested for all forms of developmental disorders.

"So what's the problem? Swimmers too slow?" I asked.

He shook his head no as the elevator doors opened to the parking lot. "Alcohol, high blood pressure, stress above all of it." He says, no emotion involved. "Tanya wants to have at least two more before her timer runs out."

"That's normal enough; most women want to have a big family."

"I don't want that, Bella. I did the father thing with you and its hard enough going between two almost adults and a six year old. I don't have time to raise another baby."

"Why can't you tell her that?"

"It will break her heart." He caught my expression and he opened his mouth to say something, but didn't.

"Well, I think you're fine in the bedroom." I blurt. Oh, crap.

Edward nods thoughtfully. "You've had tubal ligation though, yes?"

"Yes, Edward. It was five years ago." I still stick by that decision.

"Is it...Nice?"

"What?"

"Sleeping with me and knowing you can't fall pregnant, even if I did have high fertility?" We were by my car now and I took the opportunity to be the bigger person. I climbed in the car and turned it on, rolling down my window.

"Edward, you did have high fertility. Then again, you were a hormonal young adult who stuck it in me every chance you got and I willingly obliged. Call me." I said, reversing and seeing him standing in the car park with his mouth wide open.

Carpe diem, Leah.

* * *

><p><strong>Big thank you to all the reviewers, keep it up! Remember to search "An Accolade For Winter" and read and review please. Chapter twelve will be up in seven days, review and get a sneak peak! Thanks :)<strong>


	12. Mad Season

**Chapter Twelve – Mad Season**

**Bella's Point of View**

Elezear led me out of the private car that he insisted escorting me in. I touched my hair nervously, hating and loving how he extended invitations to me throughout the year for these fundraising events. I got out and stood with him, posed for several cameras, doing what societal women do. He had ditched his harem for one night and took me instead, which was strangely chivalrous of him. It also saved me from asking someone, so it was a win-win situation. I had Rose and Alice choose the dress, jewellery, shoes and hairstyle for me, seeing that I was terrible with making quick decisions and I had left it all to the day before, and was not going to hire a wardrobe specialist or anything ridiculous like that.

Apparently, I was wearing a magenta lace gown that was backless and high cut at the front, stopping just short of my collarbones and neckline. Alice had come over no less than an hour beforehand and done my hair into a low chignon and placed a white hibiscus flower in the centre of where the elastic held it. Elezear seemed impressed with my choice of dress and said I had dressed exquisitely for the occasion.

When we finally got inside, I noticed the _real_ housewives of Los Angeles with their respective trophy husbands and wondered how all of them had struck gold, literally, along with socialites and random nameless faces. Then by the bar were the men, all of which were either vice presidents or CEO's. And then there was Elezear; the CEO and president of the CCF – and me, his noble sidekick who once sold him a house and who I have befriended since. God knows why he's kept me around all these years; maybe it was because he was tired of having twenty year old girls on his doorstep and in his bed. Our platonic relationship was strong and I was forever in his debt, seeing that he liked to take me along to events like these so I could meet the rich and famous and eventually, become their real estate agent.

It was ethical.

Elezear doesn't wind up being alone, and I get a fat pay check after I've sold a house on Rodeo drive. "See anyone you like?" He asks, as we trail in and people start worshipping him.

"There's a big guy over there by the name of Jack Daniel whose been staring at me since I got in. He's got the nicest, amber coloured eyes." I say, and he chuckles. Although he's at least nineteen years my senior and never goes to bed alone, he's a good guy at heart. We go towards the bar and I let go of his Ralph Lauren custom made suit (with a matching, silk magenta tie) and we order whisky.

Just like that, the other men at the bar know that I'm not with him tonight. Alas, they all know I must be connected to him somehow, because, after all, I'm sitting next to him at the bar, rather than him running his hand under my dress and over my thigh. I make conversation with the men and even get a few photos. The more whisky the better, I realise, and I find myself being poured into Elezear's private limo with another woman by the name of Carmen, and a complementary gift bag that's full of different types of teas and coffees, and an expensive looking coffee machine (ignoring the fact that Edward was right) to support the campaign. Not only that, I went home with a hefty contact list, most of who were going to sell or buy soon – everyone in Los Angeles was buying or selling, it was a fact.

Carmen seemed nice, and different from Elezear's usual selection. This was not a twenty year old bimbo, but rather a forty six year old woman with deep Spanish roots. Her dark brown hair was twisted and knotted into a neat bun and her neck and fingers were covered in jewels. She was holding hands with Elezear who was swirling his scotch around, watching it travel the circumference of his glass with amusement.

"Thank you for coming with me tonight Bella." He kisses my hand and I smile. "I love our friendship. It has no price, which is the best part." He reaches into his back pocket and whips out his check book.

"No, Elezear. You don't have to pay me."

Elezear rolled his eyes. "Bella, learn from me. You aren't going to get anywhere by being modest. I like to throw money in your direction; you work too hard anyway."

He rips the check from its place and hands it to me. "I'll let you know when I need you next. Actually, screw that. Come up to my holiday house in the Hamptons this weekend, I'll be smothered by women but I'll make time for a nice lunch with you." He smiles. "Jeremy, pencil that in for me, champ." He says to the driver, who nods.

"Thank you Elezear." I say graciously, taking the six figure check that was going right to the savings account. To him, that was nothing. Besides, he had insisted, and I valued him too. But I felt so undeserving of it. I had learnt over time to just accept his money and move on, no matter what my feelings were towards it. "It was good meeting you, Carmen." I say, and she moved to give me a hug and hands me my goody bag.

* * *

><p>I was buzzing from the alcohol, not quite ready to go to bed yet. I checked my phone and saw I had a missed call from Edward, a little over two hours ago. No one was home, so I decided to whip up mini chocolate muffins. I grabbed the free sample of ginger tea I had received and boiled hot water while the muffins were cooling. I eyed the coffee machine in the gift bag and sighed intently, retrieving wrapping paper. I wrapped it and put it on the coffee table in the kitchen, then rang Edward.<p>

"Hello, Doctor Cullen's office?" He answered.

"Evening. Or morning?" I questioned. Maybe I was far more intoxicated than it seemed.

"Ah, to what do I owe the pleasure? How was your night?"

"T'was good, sir. I am most likely going to be on the front page of the newspaper because I was Elezear's date. I met a lot of men and women, got their contact lists, so there's more money in the bank for me. Oh, and Elezear gave me a check for half a million dollars because he values our platonic relationship. I'm coming to your office in about forty five minutes. I've got a surprise for you."

I was sure my words slurred as I hung the phone up, but I didn't care enough at this stage in the morning/evening, whatever the hell it was.

Half an hour later and still wearing the same clothes, I got in a cab and told him to take me to the hospital. I didn't trust myself behind the wheel of my car anyway. When I got there, I paid the driver and may or may not have thanked him a little more than necessary, until he told me to 'get the fuck out of his cab before he pops a cap in my ass.' People were just lovely, sometimes.

With the wrapped up coffee machine under my arm and a box of mini chocolate muffins under the other, I was blissful. I knocked on the door entitled 'Dr E. Cullen' and he swung it open right away and ushered me inside.

"You are truly a sight for sore eyes." He chuckled, hands in pockets.

"Alice and Rose did it all. All I had to do was wear it and look pretty. Which of course, wasn't that hard to do. It's a shame that you and Elezear don't cross paths."

"Why?" Edward asked. Elezear had also happened to own the land that the hospital was built on – or it was handed down to him, or something of the sort. He had met Edward a few years back at some Charitable event that I was forced to attend as a budding real estate agent and Edward as a new member of staff at the hospital. Needless to say, when we saw each other there and discovered that both of us were connected to Elezear, well, I was in such a state of shock that I could've blacked out.

"What?" I was clever tonight. "I wrapped this for you, seeing that I think giving it to you in a gift bag is highly inappropriate. This makes it seem more special and personal." He took the parcel off me and unwrapped it, and then laughed.

I loved that sound.

"So, you actually got given a coffee machine?" He asked with amusement.

"Sure did, partner," I told him, trying my best Jasper accent on.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"...That was terrible." I narrowed my eyes at him and realised how nice it felt to have my eyes closed. "What's in the bag?"

"Chocolate mini muffins. Do you have any joints?" I asked, opening my eyes.

He chuckled and moved to sit next to me. "Are you telling me that you cooked these when you were drunk and not bothered to change out of your dress?"

"Yes."

"And you had already given me a coffee machine?"

"Yes, Edward Cullen."

"Bella Swan, you will never fail to amaze me." He said, looking intently into my eyes with his emerald stare.

"W-What?" I stuttered, not missing out on the fact that he said my maiden name. What fucking alternate universe was this anyway? "What did you just call me?"

His eyes widened fractionally, his face dropped at the realisation. Then, he masked it. "It's...It's just, you haven't changed since high school."

I giggled at that, because God knows I have. "You are impeccably erroneous, Cullen," I grin at him, and then he pins me down. _On his desk. _His arms are on either side of me as he stares above, eyes on mine, ever so fixedly. The image of him fucking me on the desk made me quiver. "Take me. Go on, I know you want to." I dare him, pushing him over the line.

Would he, wouldn't he?

**Edward's Point of View**

She sat on me, with both legs horizontally over mine, as though our lower halves were jenga pieces. I passed her the joint as I ravished another mini muffin, wondering how many she had packed. I had forgot how good it was to smoke these until a handful of days ago, when I had arrived for dinner at the Cullen nee Swan residence and consumed everything, down the last drop of ranch dressing.

"Edward," My name is pure sex coming out of her mouth, as she puffs cute little rings and passes the joint back. This was the best state I had ever been in. Sure, Bella produced the most fantastic foods ever known, but when you had just had really great desk sex and then smoke a joint while eating her mini muffins, well, that was just my ideal heaven.

And it hadn't even reached four in the morning yet.

"I have to leave."

"I'll give you a ride home." I said, letting her hop off me. She put her dress back on, having only been sitting on me in her strapless bra and matching thong. I got one look of her ass before the dress was re-instated. Goodbye creamy legs, for now. I got up and buttoned my pants and put my shirt on, then grabbed my briefcase and off we went. I wasn't stupid enough to leave the last part of the joint in the room; I took it with me, carrying it in my shirt pocket.

We drove silently along the vacant roads of California and I sighed intently. Going home to Tanya was going to be hard –I was going to be having dreams involving Bella for a long time after what we had just done. I know it was wrong, seeing that she was drunk. But then again, she knew what was going on. I hadn't completely taken advantage of her.

When I pulled up outside her home, she smiled at me. "That was fun. Hopefully we can do it again some time."

"Take a day off soon. We can book a trip. You know, the two of us, no distractions." I winked as she left me a chaste kiss and hopped out of my car, heels in hand as she participated in the shortest walk of shame ever. Except, something told me she had nothing to be shameful about. Quite the contrary – I had made her happy. And because she was happy, I was happy.

As I drove home, I dug through the glove box and retrieved two peppermints, and grabbed the spare car freshener and all but rubbed myself with it, over my neck and face. I could safely say that I had never done this before. It wasn't long before I was opening the door to the apartment and into the bedroom. Then, I remembered the burnt joint.

Damn.

I opened the window and flicked it out, and sighed in content at the discarded evidence.

"Eddie?" Tanya emerged from the bedroom, in a sultry pink bra and matching underwear. "I've been waiting for you."

I smiled sheepishly and took the opportunity to remove my clothes, leaving them in a heap on the floor.

And then it happened.

We kissed, but I realised that Tanya wasn't very good.

She ran her fingers through my hair, but it didn't feel nice.

I picked her up and led her to the bedroom, but her body was out of proportion and she was too tall.

And that's when I realised; I was falling in love with my ex wife.

_Again_.

* * *

><p><strong>KA BOOM, FIRE IN THE HOLE. Check out The Unforgettable Fire by U2 and A Well Respected Man by The Kinks. Remember to read and review for me for "An Accolade For Winter" over on Twilight Writing Contest. Don't be lame! And also, go to 'realism' - she is a dear friend of mine with Harry PotterTwilight stories, all of which are to die for. Read and review, or don't...I seem to think I'm just begging to an empty audience for a strange reason. **


	13. Little Snips Of Satisfaction

**Chapter Thirteen – Little Snips Of Satisfaction**

**Bella's Point of View**

I was making waffles.

I never made waffles.

Isabella Cullen nee Swan never, not for any reason at all, ever made waffles. Period.

Except for when she had great sex. That was why I was referring to myself in third person, and that was why I was making waffles at eight o'clock, four and a half hours after the greatest, most daring, most passionate, most Earth shattering sex I had experienced. I was bouncing around to 'walking on sunshine,' which was being played through speakers in the kitchen, albeit loudly, in my old grey cotton gym pants and a Smashing Pumpkins tee shirt, which was literally five sizes too big and hung over my body and went to my knees.

It was the nineties today, complete with the sounds of the eighties.

I hear footsteps on the stairs and my smile grows wider. "Good morning!" I sing, getting a punnet of strawberries out of the fridge and kicking it closed with the heel of my foot, covered in a sock.

"Mom?" Amelia asks, looking bedazzled. "Are those waffles?" She asks in astonishment.

"Hell yeah they are." I jeer, smashing my head around.

"Are you feeling ok?" She asks me.

I snort loudly and turn over to look at her, then hop on the breakfast island. "I have never felt this good about anything." I tell her seriously, and then I grip her by the shoulders. "I don't care what you decide in the end, sweetheart. It's your life, so you should rule it. I'm sorry if I've been pressing hard lately. I just want you to reach your full potential."

"Can you say that one more time so I can record it and use it as blackmail in the future?" She asks. "Are you high?"

I was indeed high five hours ago. "God, no!"

"Are you drunk?"

"Nope." I answer, and chop the strawberries.

"What's with the shirt?" She questions, and I chuckle.

"Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness."

"Are they any good?"

"Oh, sweetheart," I murmur. What kind of music did this girl listen to? "Smashing Pumpkins, 1995. Third released album of the band to produce the song 1979."

"Is there any symbolism there?"

"I stole this shirt from the merchandise stand after myself and Alice tried to get in when we were just fifteen. 1979 is the song that I first got high to."

Her eyes boggled. "You got high and stole? Cool." She says, eyebrows wagging.

I shrug. "There is a lot that you don't know about me." I serve her a plate of waffles with strawberries, powdered sugar and maple syrup. I fix her a glass of orange juice and we sit on the breakfast bar together, side by side.

"For example, what brings your crazy mood on? What happened to you last night?"

I giggled and then blushed. "Nothing."

Amelia looks baffled and then grins like a Cheshire cat. "You met someone," she concludes. "Oh my God, that guy you were on the phone to!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

She clicks her right hand impatiently, trying to place the name. Her face lights up when she pieces it together, once and for all. "Jacob!" She exclaims with excitement in her tone.

I laugh.

Then I figure that it's a good cover up. I nod silently, and she giggles at me while cutting some waffle. "These are really good." She says. "I can't believe it! Seriously?"

It's like talking to Alice.

"Mmhmm." I didn't have the courage to speak out loud, knowing I was incapable of telling a lie that was convincing.

"I really can't believe this! You're a cougar." She says, winking.

"I am not." I say with boldness. _Actually, the man I had sex with was your father. How does that make you feel?_

It would break her heart.

"Morning everybody." Nathan greets. "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness? Nice." He says, fixing himself a plate of waffles and strawberries, passing on the maple syrup.

"Mom had sex with a client. And he's younger than her." Amelia boasted, and Nathan almost dropped his fork down his throat.

"No way." He said, his eyes narrowing.

"No, I'm serious." Amelia said proudly, and Nathan grinned.

"Lock up your sons in their late twenties." He says, and I laugh, because that is something Edward would say.

It was weird that they were happy that I had sex last night. Then again, they had waited for this day since the divorce. They knew I was lonely, and because of that, they worried about me. They knew their father had Tanya, but what about their mother?

Well kids, the spell has broken, but that took place a spoonful of weeks ago now. And, if we were going to be specific, it actually happened ten years ago.

I emailed the contact list from the gala last night to Angela, then instructed her to take no calls, emails or texts for the next twenty four hours. She too questioned me and I waved her off. I then rang Rose and Alice, and told them to come to my place tonight for gossip, wine and dinner. Both obliged.

The kids already had plans for tonight, so all was in place. I had a quick shower and brushed my teeth, then changed into a plain, tight black tee shirt and skinny jeans with black converse.

Oh my God, it was seventeen year old Bella.

I told the kids I was going shopping, and made sure to grab Elezear's check on the way out.

* * *

><p>"Bella, tell us." Rose said, as soon as we finished eating. They could tell I was bursting out of my skin to let them know, and besides, they could keep a secret from Jasper and Emmett anyway. We had been confiding in each other for far too long; trust was not an issue in this great friendship.<p>

I drank my wine. "I had sex with Edward."

Alice covered her mouth with her hand, and Rose stared at me.

"Holy shit."

Thank my stars for Rosalie McCarty.

"I know."

"When?"

"Ten years ago, three weeks ago, twenty days ago, fifteen hours ago."

"Oh my God!" Alice squealed. "Good for you!"

"And you didn't tell us straight away? Poor effort, Bella." Rose said, but with a huge smile on her face.

"But he's...He's with Tanya."

"She gets what she deserves. And apparently, so do I." I couldn't help but slide that one in, and rich laughter filled the room.

I told them everything. From the tenth birthday party, to the emotions and feelings, to the dinner and phone calls in Philadelphia, to the hotel room, to smoking joints before my welcome home dinner, my meeting with Leah, and every little detail of last night.

"I can't believe this." Rose said, swooping me into a great hug. "You and Edward? Again!"

"Want to know the worst part?"

"What?"

"I don't feel bad. I mean, I contemplated at first, but now I don't care. In his office, I learned that this should be treated lightly. It is no big deal, and for the first time ever, I am not about to make it one."

"That Tanya bitch deserves it, Bella."

"Speaking of, she wants kids with him."

Alice held her hand up, indicating that she was going to swerve a little off topic. "Hold on a minute. So, Edward cheated on you with Tanya?"

"Yes."

"And now Edward is cheating on Tanya with you?"

I laughed at the irony. "What can I say, it turns out I'm a bit of a slut."

* * *

><p><em>Charlie sat, livid as ever. He was going to say no. I gave Edward the 'I told you so' look, but he wasn't looking at me. He was looking at Charlie. "Chief Swan, I love your daughter, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I have never been so sure of anything in my entire life, let alone feel this way." <em>

_His face turned purple. "I really don't have a choice, do I?" He asked, looking at me. "It's a fork in the road. If I decline you two of this, then you will never forgive me. And if I say yes, then, well, I'll have to inherit a third eye." He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. _

"_Please, dad. I love him." I knew Charlie was against this. I just knew it, especially since him and Renee were quick to fall in love, get married and have kids. But they waited until they graduated. _

_I didn't want to wait that long. _

"_Promise me something, Bells," He says. I lean down towards him, my hand breaking away from Edward's. _

"_Anything." _

"_Promise me that you will not move out until you're legal, married or not." He says, with a small, defeated smile. _

_I beam at him. "Really?" _

"_Yeah. I just have to find a way to get a third eye, is all." He sighs, as I surprise him and wrap my arms around him, tears streaming down my face. _

"_I love you dad." _

"_I love you too Bells." _

* * *

><p><strong>Edward's Point of View<strong>

It was one of those nights.

"What do you want me to do, Edward?" Tanya shrieked, about to pull her hair out.

"I'm just saying that it's a bit unjust, leaving Matthew to dictate the meals, am I correct?" I ask, loosening my tie.

"Pizza!" The kid with the unknown father screeches at me, his black curls moving up and down as he does so.

"What about something nutritional for a change, huh?" I ask both of them. Like rosemary and mustard crusted rack of lamb, or weed, or homemade ice cream, or Bella's skin...

"Are you saying you're not getting fed enough here? Because you've got your own stinking money, so you can go out and do shopping!" She yells at me.

"What makes you think I have time to go grocery shopping? I'm here, then I'm at the hospital, then back here. I go nowhere else Tanya." My tone is acidic.

"Go to hell, Edward." She spits.

I already was.

"The doctor said I had to keep up a balanced diet if I wanted my fertility to increase, Tanya. Stress isn't good for either of us, you know."

Her eyes hardened, then softened, then glazed. She picked her illegitimate child up and cradled him, and carried him to his room. By the time she got back, I was sitting on the couch watching a game. "I'm sorry baby." She says, getting closer to me. The course of life runs smoothly all of a sudden, all because I mentioned the stupid fertility shit. She moves to sit in between my legs, and kisses my jaw. "I'm ovulating." She mumbles, and I almost groaned in frustration.

"Not tonight, Tanya, ok?"

She stops, dead in her tracks. "Why not?"

"I'm just...I'm not in the mood." Not for you, anyway.

Tanya sighs. "Are you having trouble getting up? I can give it some time."

"No, no. I'm just tired." I say, stroking her hair back. It was nothing close to what I wanted to feel.

Tanya nods but with shifty eyes. "I'm going to bed." She sighs, gets off me, and moves into the bedroom.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pick up straight away.

It's Bella.

I open the message and I stop breathing.

She sent me a nude.

A dirty picture.

Of her, to my phone...

With a nice message underneath.

'Just want to show you what you're missing tonight.'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Special thanks go to HeavenlyAngel34 for being the 60th reviewer, I promised last chapter and of course I completely forgot because I'm stupid and foolish and I'm seriously losing interest in this story. Not to worry - five chapters left, then I'm not back until December, unless I do a few one shots or beta. Listen to Naked Kids by Grouplove and Clint Eastwood by the Gorillaz over and over, until you fall in love with them. See you next update, I want reviews :)<strong>


	14. Drawing To A Close

**Chapter Fourteen – Drawing To A Close**

**Bella's Point of View**

I waited out the front of Jacob to arrive. In no less than a minute, he was there, getting out of a cab and smiling at me all the way. It had simply been too long since I had seen me. I went in for a handshake and he snorted. "We're too close for that shit," He insisted, wrapping his arms around me in a bear hug. Well, there was a first.

It was Emmett all over again. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good. But I'm starving, so let's continue the conversation inside." He says with a goofy smile. We go to our pre-booked table and we order a beer each. I felt like I could just unwind with Jacob, it was nice to feel this comfortable with a client. "I bought everything I could find." He says, whipping out a few manila envelopes from a messenger bag.

I sift through the files and find that he's got a steady balance, good credit history, the whole deal. "Flawless." I comment, handing back majority of the paperwork. "I need to keep a few of these to make copies of, any dramas there?" I ask.

"None at all." He insists, and I nod in accordance.

"Great." A waiter comes around and I order a steak sandwich, no chips, with salad and Italian dressing. Jacob orders the burger with the lot and another beer. When I eye him cautiously, he flashes another grin.

"I have to eat." He says, rubbing his stomach and sipping more beer.

"Back to business, yeah?" I tell him, and he nods. I withdraw my own plastic folder, full of information on the building that he's interested in. I talk about the history and the sizing, why it would be a good space for a web designing company, why the location was good.

"Bella, you don't have to convince me." He says, interrupting me.

"Newsflash, it's my job. This is just part of the process."

He sighs. "Bella, can I be honest with you?"

"Of course you can."

"I don't care if this place was infested with roaches and rats. I don't care if the walls are filled with asbestos and I don't care if the roof is falling apart – I would still buy it. Do you want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because it means that I get to hear you talk about a job that you love. It means that I can have lunches with you and be toured around a place with you and that I can ring you up and talk to you. I like you, Bella. I really, really like you."

And all I could say? "You've met me twice."

"And yet, I seem to find myself calling your assistant, just to know when you're free, so we can set up more pointless lunch dates. I don't even recall doing it most of the time – I'm just dialling away before my mind processes it."

I'm. Shocked. Literally.

Our food arrives and I bury my face – figuratively – into it. I wanted to melt into my chair and disappear into the floor. I couldn't believe this. "Jake, you are twenty six. I'm forty. There is a horny teenager who has recently gone through puberty living between us. How does that make you feel?"

"More attracted to you, because you used the word horny." He admits, looking down with sheer embarrassment. He was impossible.

I loved it.

"I can't deny that I feel some level of attractiveness to you also, but I don't think it's good that we act on our feelings."

He grinned widely. Oh, crap. "Why would that be?" He asked, finishing his burger.

"Because I don't have enough time to myself. My job runs my life, and when I'm not working, I'm looking for ways to improve my relationship with my kids, or I'm cleaning my house."

"Surely you have money for cleaners."

"Cleaning is when I can truly achieve peace of mind."

"Interesting," he murmurs. "I do like you, Bella. Even if there is a teenager between us. I don't care. But I'm going to take the building, because I need to start earning money again."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I surely couldn't operate my employees with no current office. So let's get the deal done, shall we?"

By the end of the hour, he had the building, and I had close to a million in commission. We visited the building and I emailed Angela to let her know Jacob had signed the papers. We walked up the stairs rather than the elevator, and I opened the glass doors for him, leading him in.

"All mine." He said happily, as we both looked at the large space. The walls were a bare white, the floorboards were white pinewood. There was a large, semi circle window that spanned from one end to the other, the panes were a deep brown. I believe it was used as a dance studio long ago, but since then, the space had been vacant. "So, I plan to put desks in a symmetrical row from about here," he moved into a spot, "to here." He began walking almost to the very back. There was a clear, glass wall that formed a medium sized cube – a head office.

We walked toward it and he opened the door. "Here lies my office. Enough space for a large desk, a couch on the side, maybe a cool fish tank." He says. "Two armchairs here, my chair on the other side."

"You seem ready to move in."

"I was born ready. The old place we had was crap; it was too small, and I could only have a selection of staff. This way, I can fit at least six to eight new employees. Oh, and we can't forget pot plants." He snickered, and I smiled next to him and thought about Edward and the fact the he owed me a pot plant. That got me thinking about the nude photo that I sent him, much to Rosalie's delight, and I went red.

"You already love it, don't you?" I asked, my attention turning back to Jacob.

"Yeah, but I won't after a year or two."

"Don't worry – I'm just a five minute walk and one staircase away."

"Let's not forget getting past your assistance more. It seemed simple in theory, but the realisation was that maybe I was already over her. Why now? Why was I so eager to start this thing with her? Why couldn't it have been four years ago? Six? Eight?

It didn't make much sense to me as to why we were going down this road that was so easy to get lost in. So how long was it going to be before we realised that going nowhere was a scary yet practical alternative?

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for all the reviews so far, you have no idea how happy it makes me! See you next update, remember the more reviews the faster I update ;)<strong>


	15. Dining And Dashing

**Chapter Fifteen – Dining and Dashing**

**Bella's Point of View**

"No, you are not coming over." I hissed on the phone, stirring the potatoes my eyes narrowed into slits. This was utterly ridiculous – did he really think he was going to weasel his way into my home again, to intrude on a family dinner?

I loathed myself for picking up the phone. "Bella, come on. Besides, I need to talk to talk to my son and...Clear things up; especially if Brad is going to be there." His tone is so pathetically desperate and I wonder about how genuine he is. Maybe his sole reason to come over tonight was indeed to patch things up.

"Edward, you can do that in your own time. Besides, wouldn't that be a little weird for the kids?"

"It shouldn't be." He says with impatience. "However, nothing you say will make me change my mind. You should know that by now."

Asshole. He was a stubborn asshole...Who was beyond amazing in bed and had nice hair and was permanently on my mind. I found myself thinking about him, and us, all the time. I was less aware of things and when he calls or texts or make any form of contact, I lose myself. I was never this bad before – Was it possible that I was falling in love with him again? Or was I just falling deeper than before?

I was an absolute wreck.

"You are not coming over and that's final." I say, my voice dead-panning anything and everything.

He inhales sharply, the awkward silence occupying the space between us for a few minutes. "I'll see you in half an hour with a bottle of red."

Damn it.

* * *

><p>Amelia answers the door and I hear them greet each other and instantly begin to talk about where her future is heading. I scowl at the balsamic vinegar as I toss it on the salad, wishing he weren't here. I hear Edward approach through the kitchen and feel his arms around my waist, his lips on my neck. "Your ass has never looked better. Tell me, how does one ripen with age?"<p>

"Shut up. You shouldn't even be here." His gestures and his lips make my heart soar and my insides melt. What the hell was wrong with me! He was a liar and a cheater...And my God he looked good tonight. "I being wine – am I off the hook yet?"

"You never will be." I scowl, taking the alcohol from him and unscrewing the lid, pouring a glass for the both of us. Nate and Brad walk in and Edward falls quiet – he is uncomfortable as my son shakes his hand and then puts his arm around Brad's shoulders. I feel superior to my ex-husband in that moment, happy that I can accept this entire scenario and he cannot. He was being immature about it, and I hoped that he really would sort things out tonight. And then, it begins.

"Nate, can we talk outside for a moment?" Edward asks. My eyes are on him, watching him carefully, studying his body language for any negative signs or movements that may give him away. No, he seemed authentic...

Nate nods and I do not hesitate to kiss my son on the head as he walks out the back with Edward. I cannot help but feel like I should be there too, in case one of them erupts at one another or kicks the crap out of each other. I let my index finger circle the circumference of the wine glass, overcome with worry. The most likely situation that would be sure to take place is that Edward would probably rip Nate's head off and then they would truly despise each other. I turn back to Brad, my voyeuristic ways getting the better of me for a few seconds, and we chat about what he wants to do with his life.

"Brad, I hate to say this, but can I talk to my mom for a second?" Amelia appears from the doorway, a small smile on her face.

"Sure thing." He smiles at both of us, and disappears into the living room, where I hear a football game being played. Amelia turns to me, leaning on the kitchen counter with a nervous look - Edward's nervous look.

"I've made my decision." She tells me, her eyes grave. I honestly had no idea what she was talking about until she cocked her head to the side and sighed. "About college." Ah ha, of course.

"What do you want to do, sweetheart?"

She pauses, and takes a big breath. "I'm choosing Berkeley, majoring in architecture."

I had sworn she hadn't applied there. "Oh my God, honey!" I put my wine glass down, overcome with happiness, and give her a motherly hug, wrapping my arms around her. "I'm so proud of you." Then, the questions in my mind were spilling out all over the place, unaware that I was talking loudly and that all I wanted to do was cry and hold her in my arms for the rest of my life.

"Mom, relax. You will do the same as what you did for Nate. I'll be in a dorm room; it's about a seven hour drive from there to here, so nothing to worry about. It's not like you have to get a plane to see me. It's going to be just fine." She assures me.

"So this is definitely where you want to go, and what you want to do?" I asked her.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"I am absolutely sure, mom. I promise."

I give her another motherly hug as we then talk about it more in detail. And when I say that, I mean that my daughter told me all about why she had chosen it and why she hadn't chosen the other schools. "I was never going to go to an Ivy League school, that's more Nate's type of thing than mine. Georgetown seemed good, that was my second preference. UCLA was third, but in the end I decided that Berkley was most fitting." She said, just as all three men walked back into the room.

And Nate and Edward looked at peace with each other.

It's about time that stupid feud ended anyway.

"Dad, I'm going to Berkley." Amelia said over her shoulder, as Edward stood there with a huge grin on his face. I watched as my daughter and my ex embraced each other, he whispered words of praise in her ear. I moved across to stand next to my son and gave him a stern, pointed look.

"It's alright, mom. You have nothing to worry about." He assures me with a wide, ecstatic smile.

* * *

><p>I left my kids and Brad to stack the dishwasher and clean up the kitchen, while Edward waited out the front of the house. I touched Nate's shoulder as I went by, and he grinned at me. I closed the front door and sat down next to Edward on the bench outside. "Enjoy your meal?" I asked him, biting my lip. He had rubbed his leg up against mine for the vast majority of dinner, with a sly Cheshire grin that told me he was in the mood. Yet, when I met his eye, he looked like he hadn't got everything off his chest yet.<p>

"I think I'm just about to divorce Tanya."

I was silent for a long moment, staring off into space – Jasper was right. "Bella, you there?"

"Why? Why are you breaking up with her?"

"I...I want to be with you. This past month has really shown me that we can be a family again. I just put my issues behind me. I'm fine, I feel better whenever I'm with you."

"No, Edward." I said, with a humourless, dry laugh. "Don't leave her for me."

"W-What? Why?" He asked, stunned at my words.

"It isn't right."

"Bella, I haven't felt 'right' in a long time. It isn't like Tanya and I have stopping working now, it's been a build up of fights and tension for a long time now. I mean, she got away from me for a week or two, and then she came back and a month later, we found out she was pregnant to a man she doesn't even remember the name of, and I put a ring on her finger. We do not want the same things."

"Edward, you can break up with her if you want, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get back with you."

"Don't you feel it whenever I'm with you Bella? Don't you feel happy?"

"Yes, I do, but I'm not in love with you." Well, my heart begs to differ...apparently. Or maybe I was finally getting him out of my system. God, I hoped so.

Edward took my hands and I cringed a little bit away from him, the electrifying touch pulsating through. "I'm taking you out tomorrow night."

"I have to work, Edward. I have a bunch of paperwork to sign."

"Night after that?"

"No, Edward."

"Why do you always say no before you say yes?"

"Because you convince me to do stupid things!" I shriek. "I don't want you breaking up with Tanya for me, because that means I'm just as bad as her. That means that I am breaking up a marriage, and you know better than anyone else that it was never my intention to sleep around and cheat. You haven't necessarily made me a better person in the last month, Edward. Now go home."

I rip my hands away from his and go back inside, not daring to turn around and see him.

* * *

><p>"So I was thinking we combined the two – a welcome back party, and a graduation party. Sure, it's more people, but it'll be fun." I promise my friends as we sit over lunch.<p>

They look like they've all gone deaf.

"Are any of you listening?" I asked them, adjusting the napkin in my lap. I shouldn't have told them the news regarding Edward first.

"You really said that him?" Rose asked with curiosity. Oh, for the love of all that is holy...

"Yes, I did. Can we talk about the party?"

"So what did he do then? You know, after you said that?" Alice asked, fascinated.

I took a sip of wine, needing intoxication to hit me. "I don't know. I went back inside to be with the kids and I guess he eventually left."

"Bella, I told you nothing good was to come of this." Jasper told me, shaking his head slowly from side to side. It was like living with Charlie all over again.

"You should see him, Bells. He's a fucking mess." Emmett says with a furious nod of the head.

"Hey, I am not that kind of person." I tell them, giving up.

"No, you kind of are." Rose said, obviously telling us all what she felt. "I mean, you slept with a married man and now he wants to leave his wife behind. If you dare tell me that this entire charade doesn't seem familiar Isabella, I will hit you so hard -"

"-Enough, Rose." Jasper says harshly, knowing that her death threats were collections of hyperboles and clichés from films. "But Bella, you have to look deep inside yourself and ask; is this really the right thing to be doing? To yourself, to us, to Edward?"

I hate that he was right. "He won't sleep or eat, he locks himself away at his office. We had to drag him out to get him to go out with us for a drink Bells. You are all he thinks about."

"Let me spell this out." I say with unnecessary force. "Sure, he cheated and broke our marriage up. And now, with a fantastic twist of events, I am the one he is cheating with. But can you blame me for not wanting to be the whore that breaks up a marriage? Pushing the fact that Tanya is a home-wrecker and an absolute bitch of a person aside, I don't want to be the reason for their divorce."

"It's too late to say that Bella, that's the part you aren't getting." Alice says sadly, reaching around and putting her coat on.

I was puzzled. "What?"

She sighs intently, her hand on mine. "He is so in love with you that he can't even think straight. He wants to end it with Tanya because he doesn't want to hurt her anymore and put her through an even bigger pile of steaming shit. He hides out because if he goes home, he fights and fights and feels guilty about you and him. Edward wants out because this marriage is making him feel so terrible."

This. Made. No. Sense. "Yet he can just flirt and have sex with me and then say to all of you that he feels bad?" I asked them.

"Usually this entire thing is the other way around."Jasper mutters, sighing with his beer in hand. "Why am I even bothering anyway? It's obvious that at this party, shit is going to happen. You and Edward will most likely apologise or do whatever it is that you guys do, and make up. He'll divorce Tanya and get back together with you. At the end of the day, despite everything, it's always going to be you and him, Bella. That fact is simply inevitable."

"I'm bringing Jake. There is no way in hell that I would bring myself to a new low."

"Little late to be saying that Bells; don't you think?" Emmett asks sourly, obviously over today's debacle.

I narrowed my eyes at the table, wishing I hadn't opened my mouth about any of this. I wish that I hadn't substituted my brain for my libido that night in Philadelphia. If I said no to Edward that night, maybe I would be able to see clearly. Maybe I would let myself be lost with Jake and not give a rats ass about dating a younger guy. I guess that was what we were doing – we had maintained steady contact and had been out to dinner a few times, but what my friends and my kids and Edward didn't know would not hurt them.

If only I thought of that before I told Alice and Rose...

"Bella, get our head out of your ass." Rose says firmly. "You've loved Edward from the start, you always will. Sure you were sixteen and young and what-the-fuck-ever, but he is your only one. Jake is just setting himself up for disappointment; you aren't being fair to him because you aren't being completely honest about your feelings." The conversation, it had seemed, was reaching full circle.

"Just say it! Admit you still love him so part of this mess is cleared up." Alice says, her eyes piercing my soul.

"I don't fucking know!" I cried, exasperated and tired of talking and listening. I just wanted to be alone. How ironic, seeing that a few months ago, I dreaded the thought being by myself and here I was now, wishing I was away on some tropic island, far away from my problematic life. "How about you just all come to this party, shut up about Edward and I, and stop questioning it!"

I had snapped at my best friends, who looked down at the table with sullen stares. Was it common for a group of forty year olds to act like teenagers still? Apparently yes, very much so. "I'll see you later." I mutter, getting up from the table and walking away.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Most of this chapter was lost, so I had to re-write a good portion of it. It's a little bit mixed I guess, and the chapter name sucks, but I'<strong>**m too tired to fix it up. Thank you to all who reviewed An Accolade For Winter, it received 12 reviews and that is more than I could ever hope for! Please head over to the Twilight Writing Contest page and vote for me in the poll so I can win! It would be awesome if this could happen! And make sure to review :) Thank you everyone!**


	16. Burnt

**Chapter Sixteen – Burnt**

**Edward's Point of View**

I pulled up to Bella's house a little after half past seven with Tanya, who looked completely dreadful. Seeing that they were her step kids, I made sure that she accompanied me here, even if we were going through a rough patch. Tanya was going to act like a sullen child all night, unfortunately. I patted the joint in my pocket absentmindedly as we approached the front door.

My daughter answered.

"Hey dad!" She says with a wide smile, pulling me in for a hug. "Hello Tanya." She says cheerily.

"Good to see you again." Tanya gives a half hearted smile and I resist the urge to scold her or roll my eyes at her childish behaviour. Milly looks down and bites her lip.

"Come though." She says, opening the door wider for us. She shuts the door behind us and leads us into the backyard, where people are chatting and dancing. I shake hands with people who are vaguely familiar, and it isn't long before I see Nate and his boyfriend, Brad, talking with a bunch of people, laughing, beers in hand.

I approach them and Nate smiles, acknowledging my presence. "Hey dad." He shakes my hand.

"Hello Mr Cullen." Brad greets, a small smile on his face. I notice they are holding hands, and I wait for the rage to hit. Fortunately, it doesn't, and I shake his free hand, asking them how they are, what they've been doing, etcetera.

And then, I see Bella.

She wears a long maxi dress in an array of pinks and orange's, her hair is curled a little bit and is placed in a low bun. She is laughing, along with most of our friend's – Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Kate, Garrett, Siobhan, Liam, and some guy who is a lot younger than all of them. He has his hand pressed on the small of Bella's back, and I find myself marching over there before my mind can even decipher what I'm doing.

"Oh Edward, you made it!" Bella says with a smile, stepping aside for me to fit in with the circle. I shake hands with my friends, smiling at all of them.

"You've done a good job with all of this, Bella." I tell her, trying to seem as though we haven't been up to anything, as though we haven't had each other in our arms and been sneaking around for quite some time.

Tanya walks over before I am introduced to the young guy with Bella. I pray it's a drunk that Nate knew and Bella was just being used as a support for him to lean on. "Ah, yes, the married clique," Tanya says with a fake smile plastered on her face. Everyone stands, quiet, not wanting to say anything. "Bella, always a charm."

"As to you, Tanya." Bella says calmly, trying very hard not to lose it. "Oh, Edward, this is Jacob Black. My date." I see everyone stiffen, waiting for something to happen. "Jacob, this is Edward Cullen, -"

"The ex husband, right," Jacob says with a proud grin, shaking my hand. "Good to meet you, man."

"You too. So, how did you guys meet?" I ask with an inquisitive tone. I was interested that Bella had bought a date, and I wondered how much she had filled this guy in about her past with me. I may be wearing a mask of collectiveness, but my blood was boiling on the inside, my fists keen to sock him right in the jaw.

Jacob answers almost immediately. "She sold me a building," He says, locking eyes with me. Was this guy seriously thinking he had a chance?

"What do you do?" I ask him, general attention spiking my tone.

"I own a web designing company. You want a beer?"

"Yes!" Tanya exclaims from next to me. "Bella, have you got anything stronger around here?" She asks.

Bella grits her teeth.

"Follow me, Edward." I go inside the house and into the kitchen. The sink is filled with ice cubes and various imported beers. "You watch her, ok? I won't let her ruin the evening." She says with a severe tone.

"Get high with me." I say, pulling the joint out.

Her eyes widen enormously. "Are you out of your fucking mind? Nobody is getting high again, especially not since last time we talked." She confiscates it off me and I scowl. "Where do you even get it from?"

I ignore her question and sip my beer. "Your squeeze seems nice. Does he know that we fuck each other on a regular basis?"

"Don't be an asshole, Edward."

"I know why you invited him, Bella. Don't try and make me jealous."

She scoffed. "God, you are so bigoted. Are you honestly saying that the only reason that man is out there is so I can make you jealous? Did it occur to you that maybe I like him and I'm ready to start a relationship?"

"Bella, that guy isn't a day over thirty."

"He's twenty six, and I like him, ok? We are over, you hear me? Whatever we started in Philadelphia, it's over."

I grabbed her arm and pulled her close. "I love you Bella. I am not prepared to give you up just yet."

"Maybe you should." She pulls away and walks out with three beers, handing one to my wife, who scowls with appreciation. Before I'm able to join them, Jasper and Emmett come over to me. Oh, of course Bella just had to tell someone...

"We heard about everything, Edward." Emmett says seriously.

"Bella told you, huh?"

"Sure as shit. What the hell is wrong with you?" Jasper asks.

"I'm in love with her. I want her back so badly, but she's turning a blind eye, or rather ear, to everything I tell her. She's deflecting."

"She wants to give this Jacob guy a chance. He's not a crappy guy Edward. Let her move on and be happy, huh?" Emmett says with a sigh. I nod, understanding what he's saying, but not wanting to take it on board.

"We tried sticking up for you man, or at least trying to get your point across." Jasper said, taking another sip of his beer. I followed that motion.

"Thanks." I say half heartedly. "But I'm going to fight more than I ever have. I was so much better with her, and it isn't just the sex that made me realise that. Tanya and I want different things – I'm ready to be with her again. What would you do if you let Alice or Rose walk out of our life? What would you do to get them back?"

I waited patiently for an answer, my two friends nodding slowly, understanding my point. "I love Bella more than anything. We have a family; we've been through the lowest lows and the highest highs together." Pun definitely intended.

"Just look at her, man." Emmett says, pointing over to where Bella is located. She and Jacob are slow dancing, arms around each other. He says something in her ear and she beams up at him with stars in her eyes. "Don't you think that she deserves a break from you?"

No, most definitely not. "I have to stop this."

Before I could even think about sulking and glowering at Bella and her friend for the rest of the night, or getting absolutely plastered and then blubbering out that I loved her so much that it killed me to see her with anyone else, my feet were moving right toward them. "Mind if I cut in?" I asked smoothly, my eyes darting between the two.

The cocky prick just chuckled. "She's all yours." He says, clapping me on the back as though I were the younger one. Yeah buddy, she is all mine. I take Bella's hand in mine and she sighs intently.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"You shouldn't have told everyone."

She scowled at me then and squeezed my hand as we danced slowly. I saw Tanya in the kitchen, chatting to some guy and drinking a martini. Of course the only way she was going to survive this night was by alcohol and flirting with young boys. "Touché." She says quietly.

"You look absolutely breath-taking tonight, do you know that?" I whisper in her ear. She shivers beneath me and I hold her closer.

"I do not."

"Yes, you do." I restrain my hand from sinking down her back, the task complicated. "Say you love me."

"I don't love you."

"Liar. I know you love me. Say it." I whisper, the two of us dancing around and around, in our own little world. "We can go upstairs, we can go anywhere. We can just leave right now." I coax, as her hand moves to the back on my neck.

She shakes her head 'no' and lets go, retreating to Jacob who greets her warmly, leaving me standing there like an idiot.

I guess I had no choice but to get completely drunk.

* * *

><p>I kept my eyes on her as the backyard filled with young adults who were new to drinking legally. Milly and her group of friends sat and talked animatedly, the never ending gaggle of girls always having a topic to debate. I saw Bella excuse herself from Alice and Rose, and go inside. Naturally, like the stalkerex-husband I am, follow her. I wait outside the bathroom door, knowing she's in there, waiting patiently. My head is spinning from the amount of alcohol I've consumed in such a small time period, knowing there was no way I was driving home tonight.

The door opened and as soon as she opened it, she jumped and placed a hand on her heart. I forced her back in the bathroom and locked the door behind me with a devious smile. "Edward, what do you want?"

"We're going to smoke." I declare happily, pulling out the lighter I had bought with me. "Take out the joint."

"Edward, you're drunk. You of all people should know how dangerous it is to mix these substances."

"No time for lectures. Don't you remember how good you felt when you smoke? How insanely relaxed you were? Let's go back." I say eagerly. She shakes her head disapprovingly and withdraws the joint with a sour expression. I light it, and we share, blowing smoke in each others faces.

No sooner are we relaxed and calm, and hitting the dance floor, arms around each other. I happen to notice Tanya and Jacob laughing as he spins her around, but my eyes are trained on Bella. I hold her close and we move quickly, laughing at how bad we are at dancing as Milly and Nate shake their heads. The world is an array of colours, blurry objects that are irrelevant.

All I see is Bella, my Bella, who I should have never let go of. Her hair sweeps around her, laugh lines coating her delicate face. The dress she wears clings to her hips and her breasts and I want to slide my hands in-between them and let it all just...be. "Edward," her breath is all things sweet as her name explodes on her tongue, her eyes watery and red.

"Bella," I address in return, our arms around each other, everything going so slowly that it is almost painful.

And then it happens.

She begins to move in, her expression changing one thousand times. I move in, copying the notion.

She goes left, I go right.

And our lips collide in a soft, passionate kiss, her lips gracing mine and tasting me all over, my insides on fire.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: If anyone is still reading this story - I'm really fucking sorry for not posting sooner. Shit's been going down and this is way, way overdue. I'll post the rest when I get my shit sorted. I look forward to hearing from you, if you're out there.**


	17. Methods Of Reparation

**Chapter Seventeen – Methods of Reparation**

**Edward's Point of View**

I had failed to remember that we were not the only two at her house. It was not just us two anymore – everyone had witnessed the faintest touch of my lips on hers, and it broke my heart to see my kids standing there. I was standing by myself in the middle of what seemed like a circle of death. I was the child who everybody picked on in the schoolyard, except I knew I deserved it. Tanya walks up to me with a red face. "We are over. You hear me? Over!" She yells, and storms out in a hurry.

I was not going to stop her.

"Dad?" Milly, my sweet Amelia, called out in a croaky voice.

"I can explain." I said, tears in my eyes.

"Don't bother; we can make our own assumptions." Nate barked, setting his beer down and going inside with Milly and Brad.

After that, people cleared out, not interested in stay any longer, seeing that the night had turned sour because of me and my wrongdoings. The last people to leave, naturally, were Emmett, Jasper, Rose and Alice. "What the hell were you thinking?" Alice asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Clearly, he wasn't." Rose said with a snide attitude.

"I love her so much. You guys do not understand what it's like to lose someone the way I lost her. You guys have all it made it work since senior year of high school. Do you not realise that you guys would not last one fucking moment without your other half? I only started to breathe in Philadelphia, and if you guys think that this whole thing is all about sex, you are entirely wrong."

Emmett exploded. "You have got to think about shit before you go through with it! What the fuck, man? You can't just pull shit like that in front of everyone. And of course we don't understand what it's like to lose someone we love, because we know that there is no one better out there on this goddamn Earth. You made the choice to fuck around and you lost her, alright."

I know that saying something back would just start a fight that nobody wanted to see. "I know I lost her – why do you think I went through all this crap to get her back?"

"Are you high?" Everyone turns to Jasper with questionable expressions, but he keeps his eyes on me. "You are high, aren't you?" The eyes turn back toward me, assessing my features.

"Yes, so?"

"Nothing, I'm just..." Jasper trails off. "I was just wondering."

Rose scowls at him. "I don't give a shit if you were on your death bed Cullen, you don't pull stunts like that in front of your wife, or your kids, or their friends, and certainly not Bella's date."

_Bella. _

Bella!

Fuck, where had she disappeared to?

As soon as that Earth-shattering kiss had ended, she had looked at everyone's stares, and galloped off. With that mention, I ran away from the interrogators/peace-makers and made my way inside the house, opting for her bedroom. I opened the door without knocking and saw her sitting on the end of the bed, tears in her eyes.

"Bella,"

"Fuck off Edward." Her plea is broken but harsh, and I ignore it. I was not going to go anywhere without her. "Go away."

"I'm not leaving you."

"I want you to leave me."

I don't buy that. "We're going to come back from this, together. I promise you. I'm not sorry for kissing you, not in the least. It's time I stopped screwing around, Bella. I know where I want to be, where I need to be. That place is with you – regardless of everything that's happened, recently and in the past, I still continue to love you, and that love grows every day. I know you love me too, and I know you want to be with me. Despite everything, I'd do it all over again and again, if it means that I can be with you."

She stares at me, unblinkingly, her eyes glassy and beautiful and brown. "Not right now, Edward." She whispers at me. "Not until I talk to my children."

"Our children," I correct smoothly, sitting on the bed with her. I take her hands and interlace them with mine and she gasps, her breaths shaky.

Suddenly, she whisks herself away from my touch. "No," she stands up, "I mean _my_ children."

**Bella's Point of View**

"What the hell was that?" Jacob hisses at me, holding my forearm with a betrayed expression.

I hated this. I hated Edward, I hated pot, I hated alcohol, I hated myself. "Jake, please, it was nothing."

"No Bella, that was something, and you are way too intelligent to say something like that. Now, tell me; do you still love him?"

I wanted to cower away, under a rock, and let my body fold in on itself. I wanted to immerse myself in darkness, having no experience of being so ashamed and embarrassed and just plain angry. I had really fooled myself into believing that I could maybe have a relationship, after getting over Edward Cullen. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to happen. What's the point of developing something new when you still hold onto someone who was once your world? And on top of that, how do you come to terms with the fact that he is still your world, despite everything?

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, so fragile and broken and scared. It had only been a couple of months, but I felt like Jake had been with me for a lot longer. Maybe this was why I hated to hurt him like this.

He sighs heavily. "So am I."

He gets up without a second glance and leaves my bedroom – he had dragged me out of the backyard, away from Edward and the guests who were clearing out. I blindly follow him out, my mouth misplaced. He unlocks his car and gets in without looking up; he is so hurt that he cannot even meet my eyes. He starts the car and my entire body heats up and I feel salty tears stream down my face. I absolutely detest the feeling of sadness and I hate crying.

The lump in my throat disarms me, and I find myself staring as Jacob Black drives out of my street and maybe out of my life.

* * *

><p>"Brad, is it possible to speak to my children alone?" I ask timidly, staring at the three people with hurt etched on their faces. He nods slowly, obviously empathetic, and exits the room with one last loving stare at my son. He really does care for him.<p>

"I have nothing to say to you." Amelia speaks coldly, acidly, and I want to break down in her arms and plea with her to at least hear me out.

"I want you to listen to me – both of you." I say, meeting their eyes – so lost, so hurt, so confused, so angry. Well, here it goes. "I want to apologise for my actions beforehand, I know it was completely stupid and idiotic and mindless. But the fact of the matter is that your father and I have kind of patched things up."

They stare at me, agape and aghast. "We hadn't really talked about things in specific detail until the night we arrived in Philadelphia, for your graduation. We had dinner and we just...talked. Like, down to every detail. Since then, we've been meeting up, behind your backs. I've never felt so guilty about anything and it's eaten me up for the past few months, but you must know that none of this was exactly unplanned."

"So what, are you back together?" My son demands, absolute rage pumping through him.

"I don't know," I breathe cautiously, waiting for the nuclear explosions and a severe verbal punishment. "But what I do know is that your father and I need to discuss this entire matter."

"I want dad here too. We're going to need his perspective too." Amelia frowns at the floor. "Do you stil love him?"

"I...I think so."

Both of them look injured, their mouths twisted. "Is dad still here?" Nate whispers. I nod, trying to gulp the lump in my throat down. He stands up and walks out of the room and returns moments later with Edward trailing behind.

Ten minutes later, all four of us are sitting around the dining table, all grim and hunched shoulders and not daring to say anything. Yet, I am the first to open my mouth. "Clearly, everyone is uncomfortable with this."

Edward shoots me a look and I give him one back, and my kids stare at us with interest. "Both of you need to tell us what's been going on behind our backs." Nate says pointedly, in my direction. We take turns in filling the story out – everything, from the dinner, from the night when he invited himself over, to coming to terms with Nate's sexuality, to getting high with him in his office and coffee machines and terracotta plant spillages and meetings with Leah and waffles and everything in between. Their expressions changed more times than I'd care to count, and I wish Edward Cullen didn't have such a monumental impact on me.

And so now that everything had been said, Amelia cleared her throat and stared at my ex-husband. "So, you're going to divorce Tanya and get back with mom? And mom, you still love him after everything?"

We all look at each other, exchanging glances. "Yes." Edward says quietly. "That's my plan, anyway. I'd like to marry you again, someday." He speaks directly to me and my eyes widen, my body shivering. The idea of being Mrs. Isabella Cullen again creeps me and delights me. My children look as shocked as I feel.

"Really?" Nate whispers with conspiracy. "You...You would really do it? So this whole thing that's been going on wasn't just for enjoyment? You've seriously fallen in love with her again?"

Edward gazes into my eyes. "To be honest Nate, I don't think it was again – I just think I was blinded."

* * *

><p>Leah looks like she's going to crap herself. "He wants to marry you? When!" She shrieks loudly.<p>

"I don't know!" I shriek back, in hysterics. "I mean, he didn't propose, but he expressed interest and he appealed to the kids and it...It scares me, the idea of doing it with him."

"I don't think doing it with him is scary, Bella. We've established that."

"You are too perverted."

She raises her eyebrows at me. "Regardless of innuendos, what did you first say to that? When he asked you?"

I exhale slowly. "I told him I'd have to see how things went for the next few months. If he's going to commit to me again, he has to realise that this is the very last time."

I had missed Leah and her crazy antics. You'd think she would want time at home with her husband and her triplets, but no, four months later, she was back. And now I was updating her on everything that had happened. "When was the last time he bought the proposal up?"

"Last week, I believe."

She nods slowly and writes something down. "If he were to propose soon, would you say yes?"

"Of course I would."

"Then why are you stressing balls over this?"

"I don't know if I trust him whole-heartedly yet."

"I hate to say this, but I don't think you ever will. You obviously love him and are prepared to overcome the largest of barriers to make sure that it remains that way, but given your past with him and the issues, it may take a little while longer to work on the trust thing. Can I ask you one other thing?"

"Of course."

"What's the date, Bella?" Oh, shit. "Why did you want me to meet with you today?"

"Because Edward gets his divorce finalised today."

"And?"

"It's his birthday."

She nods slowly. "Anything special planned?"

"Just a quiet dinner...Is this relevant?"

She eyes me perilously. "Do not question my methods...but no, it isn't. Your time is up, tell him I say happy birthday." I stand up with a large sigh and grab my bag, making my way toward the door. "Oh, and Bella?"

I turn around, meeting her stare. "Sometimes it's good to just fall into something without thought, you know? Sometimes it comes unexpectedly and you don't even know it." Does she realise that I know she's talking about trust? Unless she wasn't referring to trust at all, and was more perverted than I thought.

"I'll keep that in mind, Leah."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks to the number of reviews I got, it was quite a nice surprise! One more chapter left and then I'm done for a little while :) Check out 'Mind Eraser' by the Black Keys and drop a review!<strong>


	18. Deux, Dois, Dos

**Chapter Eighteen – Deux, Dois, Dos**

**Edward's Point of View**

Tanya's attorney shakes my hand as a final gesture. Six months had gone by with the four of us, that being Tanya, myself, and our divorce attorney's, spent in the back room of a courthouse or a law firm, dividing up money, the house, funds, the lot. Matthew was one hundred percent hers, as I refrained from filing for joint custody. I couldn't take care of him, especially since he was never mine to begin with. It just didn't seem right. I stood up and adjusted my tie so it was a little looser around my neck.

I was officially divorced.

Tanya stood up after me, smoothing her shirt down, her face had hardened. "I'm sorry I wasn't much of a wife."

"I'm sorry for not being a better husband. You tried, that's all I ever wanted from you. I hope the move is easy for you." She was getting set up in another office over in Alaska, so I didn't think I would ever be running into her ever again.

"Thank you. Can you imagine if we never crossed paths all those many years ago?" She asked, a thoughtful look on her thirty four year old face. "You probably would have been married to Bella still."

I had thought about that scenario countless times in my head, if we had never met at the bar after I had stormed out because I had a fight with my wife. We got to talking; I opened up to her, way more than I should have. We had sex that night, and it had eaten me alive for the next week before I could tell Bella what I had done. The worst thing, above all else, was her face when I told her the devastating news, that I had gone behind her back and disobeyed the one.

It was a situation that I promised to never find myself in again.

Yet, time after time, I found myself disappointing Bella again and again, particularly amongst the entire graduation party incident. I pulled her down with me time and time again, reminding her of happier times when we were young, carefree, and just us. We were older but we were still the same, despite the experiences we had ventured through.

Slowly and surely, we found our way back to each other. We broke away from each other a few times, yes, but in the end it's always her. It's always Bella, regardless of the fuck-ups ad complications. She was what I wanted and needed to come home to at the end of every day, she is my life. Honestly, there were not enough words out there to describe how I felt about her.

Tanya had noticed that I'd zoned out, and she laughed. "Edward, you are marvellous. You have no idea how wonderful you really are. Thank you, for everything. I wish you the very best." She kisses my cheek and walks out, and I wonder if our paths were ever meant to collide in the first place.

* * *

><p>"Bella?"<p>

"In here," I hear her voice ring out, calling me home. I dump my keys and my coat and follow the only light in the entire house – it's coming from the kitchen, and I can't help but let my mind wander...

And there she is, standing very proudly in front of a chocolate cake with candles and all, a large smile on her porcelain, beautiful face. I cannot help but get lost in her mesmerising trace, the effects of the long day past me. This, her, right here – this was all I needed to see. I come over to her side and kiss her lips, that taste of cocoa and coffee. "Happy birthday," she whispers in my ear, her hand in mine.

It was just us two now – Nate had moved downtown with Brad and they both worked in the city, and our daughter was boarding at college, having the absolute time of her life. It was just us two, like we had originally planned all those years ago, when we had nothing except a crammed apartment and an overabundance of baby clothes, working our asses off for a better life.

"Make a wish." She commands, and I bend down and blow my candles out, and kiss my Bella again. "Are you hungry?" She asks me, licking her lips.

I shake my head, denying. "No, not for cake." I hint with a large smile, and she blushes crazily. With that, we venture into the bedroom together that we've shared for months on end. As she reaches up, I crane down, and our lips find themselves softly against one another in a passionate heat.

"I haven't given you your present yet," she whispers, as I kiss her neck and undo her shirt for her.

"You being mine is enough to last me a lifetime," I say, and she grins at me, her eyes alight. I remove her bra and she moans as my tongue circles around her nipples in the sweetest of notions. She removes my shirt and I kiss the valley of her breasts as her fingers knot my hair. She backs up and onto our bed, and she begins to remove my pants as I undo the buttons on her skirt. Soon enough, we are naked and I truly cannot think of anything more perfect. She adjusts herself and takes me in her hot little mouth and licks, her eyes meeting mine. My hands absentmindedly find themselves locked in her hair and I lean backward as her lips suck in as much as she can muster, her cheeks hollowing.

Her hands meet my hips and she comes back up and then down again with a triumphant smile, my breathing becoming more shallow by the second. "Fuck, Bella," I hiss through clenched teeth.

She stares at me, the vixen, and the flat of her tongue meets my tip, flicking out, driving me absolutely crazy. "I'm...gonna..." And before I can even get out the rest of my sentence, I shoot myself down her throat and she swallows it down, looking pleased and covered in delightful, salty sweat.

We reposition ourselves so she's on the bottom, and I pin her arms above her as I thrust myself into her and she cries out. "Edward," she pants, our eyes on each other, utterly lost and so in love.

I go slow and move my hips around, getting in as much as I can as she cries over and over, my name falling from her lips countless times. "Bella, I love you." I whisper, right in her ear, my hands still holding her arms above her head. "Thank you, for everything," I thrust into her again and she moans loudly.

I kiss the insides of her arms, thrusting into her, feeling warm. She cries over and over and we cum together, each one of us moaning and groaning and feeling every inch of bare skin. We lay side by side, half draped in the sheets. I stroke her cheekbone with my thumb and stare into her eyes.

She is mine.

"Bella, can you do something for me?" She turns to me with a puzzled, refreshed expression. I kiss the tip of her nose. "Marry me, Bella."

Her eyes brighten and she inhales a ragged breath. "Of course." She whispers, and we kiss sweetly.

**Bella's Point of View**

We insisted on doing it right.

And yes, I do mean 'we'. Both Edward and I were ready to commit for what would be the very last time. There were to be no more total screw ups, no more disregarding feelings and people's opinions, no more of the beating around the bush garbage that we seemed to get a thrill out of.

"Bella, you look simply beautiful."

I turned around and looked at Alice, going a crimson red, contrasting to the deep blue of my wedding dress. Doing it right, of course, meant a proper wedding that was to be taken place in a Church instead of a courthouse, and a reverend who would marry us instead of a judge. That was about as traditional as it went – seeing that I was on the wrong side of forty, I figured that if I could wear whatever I wanted and do whatever I wanted.

Oops, I mean 'we.'

"I can't believe this is happening." I say, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I smooth down my dress and dab at my eyes very carefully, knowing that one smudge of eyeliner will result in an Alice style apocalyptic war, and no one wanted that to happen (even though she was capable of doing so).

"That's going to be the title of your biography, I swear on it," Alice mumbled, drinking a glass of champagne. Rose exited out of the toilet and her hands flew to her mouth as she took in my appearance.

"Bella, you look amazing!" Rose states in awe. "Edward is going to crap himself!" She says excitedly, and we laugh together. I hear the music playing outside the room and I shuffle my feet nervously toward the door. Seeing that both Charlie and Renee had passed on, I opted for my best friend's to escort me down the aisle, knowing I was not capable of walking in these shoes whilst only holding onto a bunch of flowers and nothing that was solid enough to hold me up.

Maybe I should've had more wine when I had the chance...

"Let's go beautiful! Time to get you married again! Edward and Bella Cullen, the sequel." Alice says, opening the door for me.

"Gee, thanks." I say, even though I really can't be mad at her. Not on my wedding day, at least. They flank me and wrap one of my arms with their own, and we venture down the reasonably short aisle. I take in Edward's appearance at the end of said aisle, and tears in my eyes well up. It had felt like a lifetime since I had seen him, and yet, here he was. Memories of us together when we were young flooded through my mind and I couldn't help but think about how much I wanted to be his wife again.

I loved him, and that was all there was to it, despite our fights and differences and arguments; he was mine forever.

Alice and Rose kissed my cheeks as they handed me over to Edward, who was smiling with a wide grin, exposing all his teeth. I turned to the people in the rows, spotting our children, who were both in their twenties. Nathan stood proudly with Brad, his husband of two years, whilst Amelia was next to Carlisle. Both of them had accomplished so much, and I was so proud of how strong they both were, and the people they had developed into.

The ceremony felt so short, and it wasn't long before Edward and I said our own vows, and slid rings on each other, and kissed, signifying that we were husband and wife – again. This was what felt right. This was what I wanted all along, ever since we bumped into each other and I felt his green gaze search my soul when we were sixteen and fellow classmates at Forks high. He took my hand and we walked down the aisle together, as he whispered that he loved me over and over in my ear, and that he had finally got to be my husband – a title which he believed he was not worthy of.

It took a lot of convincing from me to tell him that it was always going to be us, and that there was to be no other person for me or him.

It felt stupid to say such things, seeing that we had done the marriage and children thing so early, and then focused on our careers. Most people did it backwards, but no, we were always just a little different in that special way. Although we had lost each other at some point, we were going to retrace our steps and find ourselves back to where we belonged, with each other. We had never lost that spark between us; it just took a little time to find. It was always there, a glimmering beacon of love and hope that was shining in the darkness. The second time around made both of us realise that our love had never gone died, and all it took to get it back was a lot of alcohol and a dinner in Philadelphia.

"How does it feel to be Mrs Bella Cullen again?" Edward asked in my ear as we take the first dance.

"Feels better than the first time. It suits me now that I'm older, don't you think?" I ask, and he laughs, exposing more wrinkles around his eyes and his forehead.

"So no déjà vu?"

"We've done things quite differently second time around, so no, none at all." I promise him as we smile at each other.

"The second time around? What are we, a sequel?" He laughs.

I couldn't help to admit that Alice was right. "Yes, that is exactly what we are. Except, a better sequel."

"What about the next chapter of a book? I want to combine the two, seeing that they contain basically the same elements," he tells me, the words falling effortlessly and articulately.

"Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a family named the Cullen's..." I began for him.

"Twice upon a time." He corrects me with a cheesy grin. I roll my eyes but do not stop myself from laughing at the joke.

"And they lived happily ever after, yes?"

"Just about." He says with a large smile, as his lips meet mine and we continue to dance as husband and wife.

After all, it is indeed always possible to do something better the second time.

The End.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you to everyone who put up with me and reviewed and read! It means so much to me and I cannot thank you enough, and I wish you well :)<strong>


End file.
